WASHINGTON, February 10 (Sputnik) — The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, appears willing to arrive at a deal with the United States on Iran’s nuclear program, former Iranian Parliamentarian Aliakbar Mousavi told Sputnik.
“I think the Supreme Leader is willing to reach a deal, but he is really suspicious of the willingness of the other side, the United States,” Mousavi, a reformist era parliamentarian and current human rights advocate told Sputnik on Monday.
Mousavi added that suspicions exist on both sides of the negotiations, but ultimately he is hopeful for a positive outcome. “I think in the end we will reach a comprehensive deal,” he said.
Slattery, who recently travelled to Iran to promoted interfaith and intergovernmental dialogue, noted that Khamenei’s recent statements of negotiators on all sides “making concessions” in the talks are “further indication that the Supreme Leader is blessing these negotiations.”
Negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 countries have been ongoing since November 2013, but Slattery stated that the United States is seen by Iran as the dominant player.
On Sunday Ayatollah Khamanei said in a speech to the Iranian airforce that he “would go along with the agreement in the making," referring to the nuclear agreement currently being negotiated with the P5+1 countries in Vienna.
The nuclear negotiations were extended beyond their initial deadline in November 2014 and participants are now aiming to have a political framework agreed upon by the end of March 2015.
