25-04-2024 04:02 PM Jerusalem Timing

Obama Messages Iran via Turkey

Obama Messages Iran via Turkey

President Obama has signaled Iran that the United States would accept an Iranian civilian nuclear program if Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei can back up his recent public claim that his nation “will never pursue nuclear weapons,”

US President Barack Obama (left) and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyib ErdoghanPresident Obama has signaled Iran that the United States would accept an Iranian civilian nuclear program if Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei can back up his recent public claim that his nation “will never pursue nuclear weapons,” The Washington Post reported Friday.

The verbal message was sent through Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who visited Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei last week. A few days before traveling to Iran, Erdogan had held a two-hour meeting with Obama in Seoul, in which they discussed what Erdogan would tell the Ayatollah Khamenei about the nuclear issue and Syria.

However, “Obama didn’t specify whether Iran would be allowed to enrich uranium domestically as part of the civilian program the United States would endorse,” the American journalist, David Ignatius wrote, who has close ties with the White House officials.

Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali KhameneiObama's proposal, Ignatius said, stated that Sayyed Khamenei must confirm his statements made on February 22 through a tangible commitment, when he said that “the Iranian nation has never pursued and will never pursue nuclear weapons.”

“The challenge for negotiators is whether it’s possible to turn Khamenei’s public rhetoric into a serious and verifiable commitment not to build a bomb,” the daily added.

The Supreme Leader and various Iranian officials have repeatedly declared that Iran is not after the atomic bomb production.

During the recent months, the unsuccessful Zionist attempts towards the U.S. administration to attack Iran were circulated by media outlets.

The revealed facts of Washington Post came on the eve of negotiations resumption of the P5+1 on the nuclear file of Iran, scheduled for next week.