Iran Says It Is Narrowing Differences With the United States, Hints at a Possible Deal... Nuclear Issue to Be Addressed Later

[Financial News] Esmail Baghaei, spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, said on the 23rd local time that Iran and the United States are narrowing their differences over negotiations on a ceasefire agreement.
According to Iran's state-run IRIB, Baghaei said, "We are very close to an agreement, but at the same time, very far away."
Baghaei explained that Pakistan's army chief, Asim Munir, who has been mediating the talks, met separately with Iran's leadership in Tehran over two days starting the previous day, including the president, the speaker of parliament and the foreign minister. "The purpose of this visit was to exchange messages between Iran and the United States," he said.
The visit by Munir, who is playing a key mediation role between the two countries, is being interpreted as a sign of progress in the negotiation process.
Baghaei said, "Our focus is on ending the imposed war," adding that there had been discussions on issues where the two sides had differed.
He went on to say, "Given the contradictory positions of the United States, we cannot guarantee that this trend will change," and added, "The two sides have come closer in their views, but that does not mean an agreement has been reached. It means a solution can be found."
As recently as the previous day, Baghaei had drawn a line under Munir's schedule, saying, "This visit does not necessarily mean that any turning point or decisive situation has been reached." The remarks marked a shift from his earlier statement that "the differences between Iran and the United States are very large."
On this day, Baghaei said of the negotiation conditions, "The Strait of Hormuz issue has nothing to do with the United States. It is a matter between us and the coastal states."
Baghaei said, "Once the memorandum of understanding is finalized, negotiations on that will take place in the next stage," adding, "The issue of releasing Iran's frozen assets is being raised, and that must be decided first."
He noted that Iran's 14-point list of demands includes all agenda items, including nuclear issues and the release of frozen assets, but added, "At this stage, the nuclear issue will not be discussed in detail."
That also reflects a somewhat softer tone than his statement the previous day, when he said, "There are no discussions on the nuclear issue at this stage."
Still, Baghaei repeated Iran's position that a ceasefire agreement must come first before serious negotiations on the country's nuclear program can begin. "We know that the nuclear issue was used as a pretext for two wars of aggression against Iran," he said. "Whether we reach an understanding on the nuclear issue within 30 days or 60 days is a matter to be decided after this stage."
Baghaei added, "We will focus the negotiations on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon."

june@fnnews.com Lee Seok-woo Reporter