US Senators Speak To Iran International Ahead Of Malley Report
United States senators have differing hopes for Wednesday’s report to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by Iran special envoy Rob Malley.
United States senators have differing hopes for Wednesday’s report to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by Iran special envoy Rob Malley.
“I want Rob Malley to give an honest assessment of the status of negotiations and make the case for why diplomacy is the only viable path to keep Iran from a nuclear weapon,” Connecticut’s Democrat Senator Chris Murphy told Iran International correspondent Arash Aalaei Tuesday.
“I don't think the US or our allies should be involved in the business of assassination,” Murphy said, referring to the killing of Iranian colonel Hassan Sayyad-Khodayariin Tehran, widely blamed on Israel.
Rick Scott, a Republican representing Florida, ruled out further talks. “What I would hope to hear [from Malley] is that they're not going to do anything, because the Iranians still chant death to Israel…They still have death threats on American citizens.” He called Tehran’s regional activities “despicable,” saying the US should “hold Iran accountable, just as we hold Russia and China, Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.”
Alabama Republican Tommy Tuberville opposed renewing the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) but ruled out military means. “There's no way we can allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon,” he said. “No way.”
Cory Booker, Democrat senator from New Jersey, told Iran International a US-Iran confrontation was clear in both American sanctions and diplomacy. “We cannot allow Iran to continue to be such a state sponsor of terrorism,” he said.
In an interview published on Didban Iran [Iran Monitor] website, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, the former head of the Iranian parliament’s Foreign Policy and National Security Committee, went a step further and called Russia’s ambassador in Iran Levan Dzhagaryan a “persona non grata.” He said “any other country would have deported him for his behavior,” and added that Dzhagaryan (Jagaryan) has repeatedly undermined Iranians’ pride and values.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the envoy instructed Iranian reporters in Tehran on how to cover the event and not to use the word ‘war,’ instead to call it a ‘special military operation.’
Falahatpisheh also spoke about the country’s current economic crisis and argued that it has radicalized Iran to the extent of “making a nuclear bomb is now being turned into a topic for discussion in media reports.” He added that for some politicians this is being turned into political posturing. Falahatpisheh, however, did not point out any specific examples.
The moderate-conservative politician has made bold statements in recent months and it is not clear to what extent he has the blessing of at least some circles in the Islamic Republic hierarchy.
Falahatpisheh also charged that Russia has exceptionally benefitted from its obstruction of the revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). He further said that the JCPOA talks have not been frozen, but they have been overshadowed by events in Ukraine. Furthermore, Falahatpisheh warned that the developments in the next six months may irreparably damage the negotiations and turn it into a problem impossible to solve.
Explaining what may take place during the next six months, Falahatpisheh said that a series of regional and global crises might take shape as the West has tried all its devices against Russia and Moscow is adamant to continue its onslaught on Ukraine and beyond. On the other hand, Finland and Sweden are joining NATO and this will flare up a Cold War between Moscow and NATO.
He added that on the other hand, we should await other developments both in Iran and the United States. Biden might lose his support among Congressional Democrats and his decisions will face tougher challenges as Congress is already against the JCPOA.
Earlier, Falahatpisheh had charged that some media and politicians try to cover Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “crimes” in Ukraine. He also charged that Russia was against an international nuclear deal with Iran even before invading Ukraine.
He claimed that the mission of Moscow’s top negotiator in Iran nuclear talks in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, was that no agreement would be signed before the invasion of Ukraine.
In March, Falahatpisheh suggested that Tehran should start direct talks with Washington to cut out mediators like Russia who pursue ulterior motives in the nuclear talks.
In yet another interview, Falahatpisheh called Tehran’s official support for Moscow a historic mistake that has led to Iran’s isolation in the international community.
In his recent interview, Falahatpisheh said that Islamic Republic officials have repeatedly sacrificed Iran’s interests for maintaining good relations with Russia. In three cases officials declared in the past that exporting Iran’s natural gas to Europe was not economically feasible. They did that only to protect Russia’s monopoly on gas exports to Europe, he said.
