This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/21/world/middleeast/irans-new-foreign-minister-may-lead-nuclear-talks.html

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Iran’s New Foreign Minister May Lead Nuclear Talks Iran’s New Foreign Minister May Lead Nuclear Talks
(about 5 hours later)
Iran sent strong signals on Tuesday that its newly appointed foreign minister, an American-educated diplomat with a deep understanding of the United States, will take on the additional role of leading the Iranian delegation in talks with the major powers over Iran’s disputed nuclear program. Iran sent strong signals on Tuesday that its new foreign minister, an American-educated diplomat with a deep understanding of the United States, would assume the additional role of leading the Iranian delegation in talks with the major powers over Iran’s disputed nuclear program.
Such a change, under the new president, Hassan Rouhani, would be a significant departure for Iran in the nuclear talks. Mr. Rouhani, a moderate cleric who won the presidency in June over his more conservative rivals, had campaigned on a pledge to reduce tensions with the West over the nuclear issue, which has left Iran increasingly isolated and economically troubled because of punitive sanctions. Such a change under the new president, Hassan Rouhani, would be a significant departure for Iran in the nuclear talks. Mr. Rouhani, a moderate cleric who won the presidency in June over his more conservative rivals, campaigned on a pledge to reduce tensions with the West over the nuclear issue, which has left Iran increasingly isolated and economically troubled because of punitive sanctions.
Mr. Rouhani’s choice for foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, was confirmed by Parliament last week. The signals that Mr. Zarif would lead the nuclear negotiations were conveyed on Tuesday at a regular weekly news conference in Tehran by the Foreign Ministry spokesman, which was broadcast by Iran’s Press TV Web site.Mr. Rouhani’s choice for foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, was confirmed by Parliament last week. The signals that Mr. Zarif would lead the nuclear negotiations were conveyed on Tuesday at a regular weekly news conference in Tehran by the Foreign Ministry spokesman, which was broadcast by Iran’s Press TV Web site.
“Over the past 10-12 years, the negotiator has been the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. This may change,” said the spokesman, Abbas Araqchi. “Rouhani may decide to appoint somebody else. Maybe the foreign minister or anyone else that he deems fit.” “Over the past 10 to 12 years, the negotiator has been the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. This may change,” said the spokesman, Abbas Araqchi. “Rouhani may decide to appoint somebody else. Maybe the foreign minister, or anyone else that he deems fit.”
For the spokesman to even make such a speculative statement suggested that Mr. Rouhani had already decided that his foreign minister would be doing the negotiating henceforth and that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final word on the nuclear issue, had already agreed. For the spokesman to even make such a speculative statement suggested that Mr. Rouhani had already decided that his foreign minister would be doing the negotiating henceforth and that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final word on the nuclear issue, had agreed, despite his own deep mistrust of the West.
The previous nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, was a personal emissary of the ayatollah and was among the conservative presidential candidates defeated by Mr. Rouhani in the June 14 election. Mr. Jalili made no progress in the talks with the so-called P5-plus-1, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — plus Germany. The previous nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, was a personal emissary of the ayatollah’s and was among the conservative presidential candidates defeated by Mr. Rouhani in the June 14 election. Mr. Jalili made no progress in the talks with the so-called P-5-plus-1, the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — plus Germany.
Mr. Zarif, 53, is widely considered the most significant new face in Mr. Rouhani’s cabinet because of his Western background. He is known for having sought to improve relations with the West and the United States in particular, preferring to refer to it as a rival nation and not the enemy, the name commonly used by Iranian hard-line conservatives. Mr. Zarif, 53, is widely considered the most important new face in Mr. Rouhani’s cabinet because of his American background. He is known for having sought to improve relations with the West and the United States in particular, preferring to refer to it as a rival nation and not the enemy, the name commonly used by Iranian hard-line conservatives.
Educated in the United States, Mr. Zarif spent many years as Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, but was sidelined with the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president in 2005. Educated in the United States, Mr. Zarif was Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations from 2002 to 2007. He was sidelined and eventually replaced after the 2005 election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a hard-liner who escalated Iran’s nuclear activities, dismissed sanctions as American-led bullying and often inveighed against the West.
It remains unclear when the nuclear talks, which were suspended before the June elections, will resume. But Western analysts of Iran have said they expected a much less bombastic tone under the Rouhani administration, even if Iran refuses to compromise on the major obstacles to an agreement. The Foreign Ministry spokesman’s statement on Tuesday was the second time in five days that personnel changes under Mr. Rouhani have suggested that a major shake-up in strategy on the nuclear issue may be under way.
The P5-plus-1 countries have demanded that Iran comply with Security Council requests to halt its uranium enrichment, which Iran insists is for peaceful intentions. Western nations suspect that Iran is working to achieve the capability to build nuclear weapons. On Friday, Iranian state media announced that Fereydoon Abassi, a hard-line nuclear scientist who narrowly escaped an assassination attempt nearly three years ago that Iran blamed on Israeli agents, had been removed as the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, which in charge of operating nuclear facilities.
Mr. Abassi’s replacement was the former foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, who had been widely considered the most practical member of Mr. Ahmadinejad’s cabinet. Mr. Abassi, by contrast, was regarded as uncompromising.
“You have to read the fig leaves from all these pronouncements — they’re talking about diplomacy,” said Mehrzad Boroujerdi, a political-science professor who specializes in Iran at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.
While Iranian leaders have made similar gestures in the past when they foresaw a serious threat from the long-stalled nuclear negotiations, Mr. Boroujerdi said, “I think in this case they’re hoping some wise politicians here in the United States will put two and two together — that these are all signs they want to reach an agreement.”
It remains unclear when the nuclear talks will resume. But many Iran political experts have been saying they expect a much less bombastic tone in the talks under the Rouhani administration, even if Iran insists on its right to enrich uranium, one of the major obstacles to an agreement.
The P5-plus-1 countries have demanded that Iran comply with Security Council requests to halt its uranium enrichment, which Iran says is for peaceful intentions. Western nations suspect that Iran is working to achieve the capability to build nuclear weapons, an assertion the Iranians have repeatedly denied.