Tom Barak, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and the special envoy of the President for Syria and Iraq, announced at the Global Security Forum in Doha, Qatar, that Washington is aiming to achieve a peaceful agreement with Iran. He added that Donald Trump, the U.S. President, remains willing to negotiate with Tehran.
Challenges in Negotiations
Barak pointed out the mistrust between the U.S. and Iran, considering it one of the main obstacles to progress in negotiations. Without mentioning past U.S. breaches of promises, he stated that diplomatic efforts mediated by Qatar, Oman, Pakistan, and Switzerland to reduce tensions are ongoing.
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Barak also suggested that a revised version of the Islamabad agreement could serve as a basis for resuming negotiations. According to him, this agreement could include a ceasefire, reopening maritime routes, and actions to alleviate economic pressures on Iran.
The Political Future of Iran Determined by Its People
The U.S. special envoy emphasized that the political future of Iran should be determined by the people of that country, not through externally imposed regime change. He referenced the history of U.S. military interventions in the Middle East, stating that attempts to change leaders and governments have repeatedly gone wrong.
Barak also mentioned 23 instances of U.S. intervention in the Middle East and added that these actions have not yielded the expected results. In response to the question of whether the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran was a mistake, he said, "I don't know if it was a mistake or not."
The Main Objective of Military Operations
Barak claimed that the initial goal of the Trump administration in launching military operations against Iran on February 28 was to counter what Washington perceived as an imminent nuclear threat, not to change the Iranian government. He described the consequences of the war in the region and beyond as "terrible" and stated that the U.S. government does not seek to continue this conflict.
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