Speaking to Iran’s IRIB, Baghaei said it is natural in any diplomatic process for each side to pursue its own narrative, but Iran has tried to keep its account grounded in reality. He said Iran’s positions and red lines have been consistent and stated from the outset of negotiations.
Baghaei said the point made by the Foreign Minister, that an understanding is very close, has been repeated over the past four weeks and is not new information. He said an understanding could have been reached weeks earlier, but repeated changes in the other side’s position and the addition of new demands have caused delays.
Responding to accusations directed at Iran, Baghaei said it is clear to everyone which side has acted in good faith. He noted Iran implemented the JCPOA in good faith while the US withdrew from it. He recalled that two or three weeks ago, during a Pakistani delegation’s visit to Tehran, he had said an understanding was “very far, yet very close.” On another occasion, he said, he described the negotiations as having become a game of “snakes and ladders” due to the unpredictable behaviour of the American side.
Baghaei said that from the start of the diplomatic process, the goal has been to reach an understanding, and that agreement has now been reached on most points, with Iran currently in an internal stage of finalising its position.
Asked about Trump’s claim that the MoU could be signed this Sunday or Monday, Baghaei said he could not offer a definitive view at this stage. The timing, location, and details of any signing depend on how the diplomatic process unfolds.
Baghaei acknowledged that, given the sensitivity of the issue, it is natural for journalists to use their own sources to obtain information, and said Iran has a valuable dynamism in its own media. However, he said he could not confirm any of the published details.
He added that the negotiations are a process, and Iran’s path is not determined by the other side’s positions. He said Iran’s decision-making process is entirely clear: to reach a definitive and final result, consensus must be achieved among the relevant decision-making bodies, a logical process that takes past experience into account at every stage.
MNA
