Iran sees 'historic opportunity' to avoid conflict with US
Iran has claimed that a deal to avert a potential military conflict with the United States is now within reach. Tehran made the announcement just two days before the scheduled talks between the two countries in Geneva. On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on social media, “A historic opportunity has arisen to reach an unprecedented agreement to address mutual concerns and protect interests.”
Araghchi stressed in his post that an agreement is possible. However, diplomacy must be prioritized for that. He made it clear that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons under any circumstances. However, Tehran will not back down from its right to use peaceful nuclear technology. He also warned that Iran is ready to do anything to protect its sovereignty.
The third round of talks between Iran and the United States is scheduled to begin tomorrow, Thursday, in Geneva, Switzerland. The talks, which resumed earlier this month, have generated widespread interest around the world.
US War Threats and Armaments
The talks are taking place at a time when the US military presence in the Middle East has been greatly increased. US President Donald Trump has threatened to attack Iran if a deal is not reached. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has already been deployed in the Arabian Sea. Another warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is currently stationed at the US base on the Greek island of Crete and could sail towards Iran's coast at any time.
Since the beginning of the current tensions, Tehran has said that any attack will be met with a crushing response. Last Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry warned that even a limited US attack would be considered an "aggression".
Domestic protests and the government's 'red line'
International pressure on one hand, and student protests within the country on the other, have made the Iranian government quite uncomfortable. Students have been protesting at various universities in Tehran for the fourth consecutive day since Tuesday. Videos circulating on social media show scuffles between the two protestors in the university hall. There were even reports that students set fire to the country's national flag last Monday.
Iranian government spokeswoman Fatema Mohajerani has given her first official response to the ongoing student protests. She said that while students have the right to protest, they must understand the 'red line' or extreme boundary. She referred to the national flag as that boundary and said that this sacred symbol cannot be insulted even in extreme anger.
Protests broke out in Iran in December last year over an economic crisis. They quickly turned into an anti-government movement. Several human rights groups claim that thousands of people have died in government repression. The US-based organization HRANA has reported collecting data on the deaths of more than 7,000 people. The Iranian government has admitted that 3,000 people have died, but has blamed the US and Israel for this.
Iran and the US held five rounds of talks on the nuclear deal last year. However, the process collapsed due to a 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June last year. All eyes are on whether the two adversaries can reach a final solution at the Geneva meeting on Thursday.
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