Washington, DC – National Iranian American Council President Jamal Abdi issued the following statement regarding reported contact between businessman and Trump advisor Elon Musk and the Iranian diplomatic delegation in New York, and reports that Israel struck an alleged nuclear weapons research facility in the Parchin military complex in Iran on October 26:
“Exploring all diplomatic options to defuse U.S.-Iran tensions is smart and necessary. The region is a powder keg and the risks of full-blown regional war exploding in the months to come cannot be brushed off or taken lightly. Direct engagement is the surest way to de-escalate these dangerous tensions.
“The Biden administration blew a wide open window to negotiate with Iran and restore the 2015 nuclear deal within its first hundred days. Trump’s decision to abandon the accord without securing a ‘better deal’ and Biden’s failure to restore U.S. commitments under the accord were major mistakes that must be reversed. Trump has a narrow opportunity to reverse the mistakes that have brought the U.S. and Iran to the brink of war and Iran to the brink of a nuclear weapon.
“It is also notable that Iran reportedly declared in writing that it would not pursue alleged threats against Mr. Trump. Given that Trump’s assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani had spurred these threats and was a major stumbling block for Iran to consider engaging directly with Trump, signals that Iran is prepared to move past this issue are significant.
“However, there are major obstacles to a diplomatic solution on all sides. It is an extraordinary coincidence that, immediately following reports of Musk’s meeting exploring de-escalation, news broke that alleged that Israel’s October 26th attack struck a facility at the Parchin military complex where Iran allegedly engaged in nuclear weapons-related research. Such revelations could raise pressure for Iran to respond to those Israeli strikes, and could further politicize nascent efforts by Trump to engage Iran.
“If Iran indeed decided to pursue ‘dual use’ nuclear research, this is an incremental but provocative step in line with other steps it has taken to raise the pressure on the U.S. and West for abandoning the nuclear deal and imposing sanctions and other actions. But it only bolsters the case that the type of engagement Musk reportedly engaged in is urgent and vital.
“Military confrontations, sabotage and assassinations have not worked to the benefit of the U.S., Israel and Iran. But they have brought the region chaos and bloodshed as Iran inches ever closer to being able to weaponize its nuclear program. President-elect Trump and Iran’s leadership can still choose a different path, but they must move decisively to head off the forces of war and boldly work toward peace.”
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