TEHRAN(Bazaar) – Robert C Smith, professor at the University of San Francisco, says the exchange of prisoners will create a better environment for negotiations between the United States and Iran.
Following is the full text of interview:
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?
Now the JCPOA is dead and there is nothing. The issue of exchanging prisoners can be a hope for agreement on other issues between the two countries in the future.
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?
I disagree with these statements because if there was no trust, the parties would not have reached an agreement in this regard. Of course, the mediation role of Qatar should not be ignored. However, the exchange of prisoners will create a better environment between Iran and US.
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?
Biden faced the opposition of some important political figures from the Republican and Democratic parties regarding the exchange of prisoners with Iran. Furthermore the 2024 presidential election is coming up and hostility towards Iran is one of the slogans of the election candidates in America.
Q: What effect will this agreement have on Biden's presidential campaign?
According to Biden's recent statements, this agreement will not have much impact on his campaign.
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?
Qatar has a rough road ahead because the United States and Iran are not willing to give each other concessions easily. Qatar continues its mediation efforts to calm the security and political situation in the Middle East.
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