UN's Guterres Congratulates Iran On Yemen Ceasefire, Discusses JCPOA Talks

In a statement released on Friday by the White House, Sullivan mentioned that as Ramadan approaches, “We welcome the proactive diplomacy underway with our friends and partners across the Middle East region.” He added that these efforts help “President Biden’s agenda of forging a more secure and integrated Middle East region through a combination of deterrence against adversaries and diplomacy wherever possible…”

Sullivan went on to praise the summit held earlier in the week between the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Bahrain and Egypt with the participation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying the plan is to expand this circle of partners.

He also mentioned sanctions designation this week against a procurement network for Iran’s missile program, adding that “We will continue to use all appropriate authorities to hold Iran and its proxy groups accountable for threats against our friends and partners.”

The statement also highlighted terror attacks in Israel and said, “President Biden spoke with Prime Minister Bennett on Wednesday and offered all appropriate assistance in the wake of these barbarous attacks against innocent civilian. Our entire administration stand behind our Israeli allies as they work to confront threats to their citizens.”

Crenshaw told Iran International Friday that the 2015 Iran deal, from which Republican president Donald Trump withdrew the United States in 2018, “was a danger to the Middle East stability.”

In opposing talks in Vienna between Iran and world powers to revive the deal, Crenshaw, an Afghanistan war veteran and a SEAL force commander, said the Biden administration should not be “engaged in negotiations when Iran is sending missiles into Iraq near our consulate.” Iran March 13 fired missiles at Erbil, northern Iraq, hitting a villa it claimed was used by Israeli intelligence, apparently in response to Israeli attacks on an Iranian air base in Kermanshah province or on Iranian forces in Syria.

Missiles

Crenshaw said that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) accepting responsibility for the missiles had been “bold and brazen,” and that the US was projecting weakness “over and over again.” This was the “worst way to negotiate,” he argued.

Earlier in the day, the Democratic Majority Leader in the House of Representatives Steny Hoyer told Iran International’s Arash Alaei that President Joe Biden saw limiting Iran’s nuclear program, as done by the 2015 deal, as “a critically important objective” and that Washington would continue negotiations with Iran and other world powers as long as agreement was possible.

The Vienna talks over reviving the 2015 deal − the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) – have gone on for a year, struggling to resolve which US sanctions contravene the agreement and exactly how Iran’s nuclear program, expanded since 2019, be returned to JCPOA limits. Among issues reportedly remaining, the US is refusing to rescind Trump’s 2019 move adding the IRGC to the US list of ‘foreign terrorist organizations,’ the only example of a sovereign state’s armed forces being so designated.

In a Friday statement, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan defended this week’s new US sanctions against Iran’s procurement effortsfor its missile program. “We will continue to use all appropriate authorities to hold Iran and its proxy groups accountable for threats against our friends and partners,” he said.

Yemen’s Ansar Allah, known as the Houthis, have in recent weeks, accelerated efforts to hit Saudi energy targets in response to the Saudi war effort in Yemen. Ansar Allah, who control most of northern Yemen, have developed a missile capacity, reportedly with Iranian help, over many years although the damage caused by the strikes is limited given Saudi air defenses.

Speaking to Rouydad24 website, Hosseini said that when Russians look at the bigger picture, they see Iran as part of their geopolitical map. Just like the Americans, Russians too have shown that they do not wish to see Iran becoming a nuclear power. They are sensitive to this matter and will always obstruct Iran's path to nuclear bombs. But at the same time, a nuclear agreement should not mean Iran getting too close to the West.

While Moscow was playing an active mediation role between Tehran and Washington during the Vienna talks in recent months, after the invasion of Ukraine it made demands that were seen as a stumbling block to an agreement. Russia asked for written guarantees from the US that Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine would not affect its ties with Iran.

Hosseini said, it is natural that the Russians follow their own interests in the talks. With the Ukraine war, their interests have become even more complicated. "Russians know that if the nuclear deal is not revived, tensions between Tehran and the West will increase to the point of a war. If there is such a war, it will be difficult for Moscow to support any side or even to declare impartiality."

For the time being, Russia's interests overlap with Iran's interests but in case there is an agreement, Russia will be worried that Iran might get too close to the West. The best-case scenario for Russia is continued tensions between Iran and the West, Hosseini argued.

According to the website, the Vienna talks have reached a difficult point where there is little chance for progress. The website quoted Hosseini as defending Tehran’s position that all post-2018 sanctions are about the nuclear issue. If the 2015 nuclear agreement, JCPOA, is to be revived, all sanctions including those against the IRGC need to be lifted.

He added that some recent remarks by Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian indicate that Iran might compromise over the IRGC issue. He was referring to Amir-Abdollahian’s statement last week that IRGC commanders told him to prioritize Iran's interests over the interests of the Revolutionary Guard.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Fararu website, former lawmaker Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh said that both Iran and the United States need an agreement to prevent rising tensions in the region andthe world.

He said an agreement is at hand and its final draft has been prepared but matters beyond the nuclear agreement prevent a final deal to be made. Last week Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's adviser Kamal Kharrazi once again called for guarantees from America, lifting of all sanctions, and delisting the IRGC as requirements for a deal. This comes while several Iranian lawmakers including Ali Khezri claim they have seen a 27-page final draft of an agreement between Iran and the United States.

Falahatpishe, the former chairman of Iranian parliaments national security and foreign policy Committee said it is not known if Russia still insists on its own demands about the nuclear deal.

Nonetheless, he said that only delisting the IRGC can lead to a détente between Iran and the West. Falahatpisheh maintained that both countries should try to reduce tensions in the region as any delay will give an opportunity to “agitators such as Israel” and some “regional reactionaries” to bring about chaos in the region.

The Democratic Majority Leader in the House of Representatives added, “They believe this way, and the president is articulating that limiting the capacity of Iran producing nuclear weapon is a critically important objective. So, I think they would continue the talks as long as they think it's a possibility to get to an agreement.”

President Joe Biden launched indirect talks with Iran and other world powers one year ago to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement, abandoned by his predecessor in 2018. The talks have neared a conclusion, diplomats have said, but some sensitive issues remain to be agreed.

The key issue is Iran’s insistence that the United States should remove its Revolutionary Guard from its Foreign Terrorist Organization list. The Biden administration has not said whether it would reach a compromise with Tehran, but many politicians from both parties oppose such a move.

“IRGC is a terrorist organization. And I'm for continuing it being designated as a terrorist organization. I'm also in favor of dealing in this agreement with the non-nuclear malign activity pursued by the Iranians to destabilize the Middle East,” Hoyer told Iran International's Arash Aalaei.

The halt to hostilities would also allow fuel imports into Houthi-held areas and some flights operating from Sanaa airport, the UN envoy said on Friday.

The UN-brokered deal between a Saudi-led coalition and the Houthi group backed by Iran is the most significant step yet towards ending a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and pushed millions into hunger.

UN special envoy Hans Grundberg said the truce would come into effect on Saturday at 7 p local time (1600 GMT) and could be renewed with consent of the parties. Saturday marks the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"The aim of this Truce is to give Yemenis a necessary break from violence, relief from the humanitarian suffering and most importantly hope that an end to this conflict is possible," Grundberg said in a statement, adding he would press for a permanent ceasefire.

Yemen's economy and basic services including health have collapsed, leaving 80% of the population of around 30 million reliant on aid.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the truce "must be a first step to ending Yemen’s devastating war", urging the parties to build on the opportunity to "resume an inclusive and comprehensive Yemeni political process".

Houthi rebels launched a fierce drone and missile attack last week on Saudi oil installations, as behind the scenes talks were most probably taking place.