TEHRAN(Bazaar) – Professor Frank N. von Hippel, former assistant director for national security in the White House Office of Science and Technology, says the prisoner exchange agreement between Iran and the US paves the way for nuclear negotiations.
“Any agreement builds confidence in the feasibility of further negotiations,” Professor Frank N. von Hippel told Bazaar News Agency.
Following is the text of the Bazaar interview with Professor Frank N. von Hippel.
Q: The issue of prisoner exchange between Iran and the United States was carried out. Will this have an impact on the revival of the JCPOA?
A: My impression from the press is that, as part of the deal, Iran will limit its enrichment program so that it will not go beyond 60% enrichment and would not increase its stocks of 60% HEU. That would preserve the possibility for later broader and deeper negotiations.
Q: Washington has announced that it does not consider the prisoner exchange agreement with Iran to be a confidence-building step between the two countries. What is your assessment of this issue?
A: Any agreement builds confidence in the feasibility of further negotiations.
Q: President Biden announced in a statement after this exchange that the US will continue to impose costs on Iran for its provocative actions in the region. Could this message mean to remove his government from the internal pressures that condemned him to pay ransom to Iran regarding the release of Iran's blocked funds?
A: It also acknowledges the reality that a comprehensive agreement has not been achieved.
Q: What effect will this agreement have on Biden's presidential campaign?
A: Hopefully, relatively little.
Q: Qatar has expressed hope that this agreement will open the way to solve other issues between Iran and America. Considering the success of this country in this agreement, how likely is Doha to continue this mediation in the field of the nuclear agreement?
A: I don’t know about Doha’s future role. But we need as much help as possible for the US and Iran to achieve peaceful resolutions to their differences.
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