TEHRAN (Bazaar) – Professor Paul Pillar, who was CIA intelligence analyst for 28 years, says Iranian government is still actively interested in achieving some kind of nuclear agreement that, if not restoring the JCPOA, would be a replacement for it.
“The French government has always been in favor of using diplomacy to restrict the Iranian nuclear program,” Pillar told Bazaar News Agency.
Following is the full text of the interview.
Q: Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has announced that there will be a consultation on the nuclear issue on the sidelines of the UN meeting and a meeting will be held in this regard. What is your assessment of this meeting and is it possible that America will also be present in it?
A: I interpret this statement as an indication that the Iranian government is still actively interested in achieving some kind of nuclear agreement that, if not restoring the JCPOA, would be a replacement for it. It appears that it was Iran, not the United States, that had been reluctant to have direct negotiations between the two countries, thus necessitating the indirect nature of the talks that earlier were taking place in Vienna. If this announcement by the foreign minister suggests a greater willingness to talk directly, then I expect the United States would have representatives present at any meeting on the sidelines of the General Assembly session.
Q: French President Emmanuel Macron announced that we want to revive the Iran nuclear deal. Does this position have anything to do with Amir Abdullahian's position?
A: The French government has always been in favor of using diplomacy to restrict the Iranian nuclear program. I don't see a direct connection with the Iranian foreign minister's statement, but France certainly would welcome a meeting on the subject alongside the General Assembly.
Q: The spokesperson of Iran's Foreign Ministry has also announced that if the issue of receiving Iranian money is properly resolved, if America returns to its obligations, Iran is also willing to cooperate in the nuclear field. Do you think this process will be completed before the start of the UN session?
A: The General Assembly session is due to begin on 18 September. Whether the prisoner exchange deal is completely implemented before then will depend on the financial mechanics of transferring frozen assets to Qatar. I think the process should be able to be completed by then.
Q: Regarding the visit of the official of the International Atomic Energy Agency from Iran, what is your assessment of his report and what effect will his report have on the process of nuclear negotiations?
A: I'm not sure what this refers to. We heard from Director General Grossi a couple of months ago in reporting on the Iran situation, and since then there has been some agreement regarding resuming use of some monitoring cameras. The IAEA still seems to be less than satisfied, however, with Iranian responses to its questions.
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