US says Iran deal aims for broader regional peace
Washington, June 13 (IANS) The Trump administration said Friday that a proposed nuclear agreement with Iran is designed to support a broader regional peace framework involving Israel, Lebanon, Gulf states and Tehran, while preserving the right of all parties to defend themselves against future attacks.
The comments came as a senior administration official expressed growing confidence that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Washington and Tehran could be signed within days.
While much of the discussion surrounding the proposed agreement has focused on Iran’s nuclear programme, the administration said the initiative extends beyond nuclear issues and seeks to reduce regional tensions that have fuelled conflict across West Asia for years.
According to the official, one of the central objectives of the agreement is to establish what was described as a long-term peace arrangement across the region.
“It guarantees a long-term peace in the region,” the official said during a background briefing.
The official said the framework would require Iran to stop supporting violence in the region while also ensuring respect for Iranian sovereignty.
The administration’s position was tested repeatedly during the briefing as reporters raised concerns about Israel’s security, Hezbollah’s activities in Lebanon and whether a future agreement could survive regional tensions.
Asked about Israeli concerns, the official said the United States had remained in close contact with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders throughout the negotiating process.
“The President spoke with Bibi yesterday,” the official said.
The official expressed confidence that Israeli concerns would ease once the full details of the agreement became public.
“We feel confident that the deal that we’re actually going to strike, assuming we get there, is going to be a deal that everybody in the region can be comfortable with,” the official said.
The official said the broader framework would include Israel, Iran, Lebanon and Gulf countries.
“The broad regional peace agreement is broad,” the official said. “It includes Lebanon, it includes Iran, it includes the Gulf Coast countries, it includes Israel.”
The administration also sought to reassure regional partners that participation in the agreement would not limit their ability to respond to security threats.
“Obviously, that doesn’t mean they give up the right to self-defence,” the official said.
The official specifically cited the possibility of future attacks by Hezbollah or other Iran-backed groups as an example of circumstances in which countries would retain the right to act.
“If Hezbollah is firing rockets at Israel, and Iran is paying for missiles that are getting launched into Israel, then obviously they haven’t kept their end of the bargain,” the official said.
For that reason, the administration argued, the agreement links economic benefits for Tehran directly to its behaviour.
The official said Iran would receive economic incentives only if it fulfilled commitments related to both its nuclear programme and regional conduct.
“We expect the Iranians to be a real actor for peace,” the official said.
The administration also said enforcement mechanisms would be based on verification rather than assumptions about Iranian intentions.
“We don’t give anything up unless they do honour their end of the bargain,” the official said.
Asked about concerns that hardliners inside Iran or elements of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could undermine the agreement, the official said the administration believes there is broad support for the deal within Iran’s political and security establishment.
“We actually feel quite confident that there is consensus within the system,” the official said.
The official acknowledged that ceasefires and peace arrangements often take time to stabilise and may face setbacks in the early stages.
“These things are always an evolution, they’re always a process,” the official said.
–IANS
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