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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
A U.S. special envoy1 responds to Iran on nuclear talks, protests over a woman's death
A U.S. envoy can't talk to Iran – but NPR did, and told him what they said. Here's a mediated4 conversation.
Robert Malley, President Biden's special envoy to Iran, has yet to negotiate directly with Iranians during a year and a half on the job. Iran's government refused to meet directly with their American counterparts as they negotiate the U.S. return to a nuclear agreement between the two countries; instead, they talk through intermediaries.
Iranian officials occasionally have agreed to interviews with NPR, and Iran's foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, spoke5 with us on Sept. 26. Less than two weeks later, we played portions of that interview to Malley, creating a rare exchange of views.
Malley is a longtime specialist on Iran's region, who knows leading players in Tehran even if they won't meet with him now. He's trying to rejoin a multinational6 agreement that President Obama negotiated, President Trump7 dropped, and President Biden would like to resume. Republicans loudly oppose any dealings with a U.S. adversary8; Biden maintains that stopping Iran from building a nuclear weapon is worth the trouble.
Criticism has only grown in recent weeks as Iran's government has repressed citizens protesting the death of a woman in police custody9. Morality police arrested Mahsa Amini on Sept. 13, alleging10 she had not dressed modestly enough. The U.S. still regards Iran as an adversary, and sanctioned Iranian officials on Thursday for their role in crushing the demonstrations11. The U.S. has also loosened sanctions on tech companies that may help Iranian citizens evade12 their government's controls of the internet.
What follows are statements by Iran's foreign minister, and Malley's responses.
On Iran's protests
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said he had a message for U.S. officials to not to get involved in the demonstrations: "I am assuring them that there is not a big deal going on in Iran. There's not going to be a regime change in Iran."
Robert Malley: "What the United States wants is a government in Iran that is respectful of the fundamental rights of its people. It's not a policy of regime change. It's a policy of backing... people who are protesting peacefully, because they want to be able not to wear a headscarf or to live their lives in ordinary ways, and yet they face an oppressive system... And, you know, we hear Iranian officials blame the U.S.. Blame Israel, blame others. They shouldn't look so far. They should look closer at home."
Amir-Adbollahian did blame foreign actors for stirring up violence, and said the U.S. should not "play to the emotions of the Iranian people."
Malley: "Nobody is demonstrating because of the United States. Nobody in Iran is angry at their government because of the United States. They're angry because of the policies of their government....And, you know, the Iranians did protest against the fact that we loosened our sanctions to allow free flow of information for Iran, for the Iranian people. And it probably is the first time, ironically, that we've heard Iran complain about our easing sanctions."
On nuclear negotiations13
Amir-Abdollahian said the U.S., Iran and European nations were very near a nuclear agreement. "We're at a stage where there are just a couple of issues remaining on the table, but which are very significant and important."
Malley: "There was a deal on the table... and all the other participants were OK with it in March. Then again over the summer. Then again in August. And each time Iran has come up with some new requests, some new demands, most of the time either an unrealistic demand or one that was extraneous14 to the nuclear talks, something that had nothing to do with it."
Amir-Abdollahian said his country is seeking some guarantee that the U.S. will not withdraw from the agreement again, as President Trump did in 2018. "The American side has taken some steps toward giving us guarantees. We just need those guarantees to become a little more complete."
Malley: "We've told them since we started talking indirectly15 around March 2021... we can't control what the next president does... That was the deal... So if that's something that Iran insists upon, there's no point in negotiating."
On the release of U.S. citizens
Amir-Abdollahian said Iran was willing to release several U.S. citizens from Iranian prisons, but expected to receive something in return. "So if the U.S. is ready, we are ready without any delay." Days later, Iran released one American, Baquer Namazi, who has been in ill health.
Malley: "There was no quid pro2 quo that they let Baquer Namazi live. He's an elderly man who needs medical attention... We are in indirect discussions with Iran to secure the freedom of the remaining citizens – Emad Shargi; Siamak Namazi, the son of Baquer; and Morad Tahbaz... But nothing was traded for the long-overdue release of Baquer Namazi... We're looking at what we can do on the humanitarian16 side, mutual17 steps to make sure that our citizens are in their home as soon as possible."
1 envoy | |
n.使节,使者,代表,公使 | |
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2 pro | |
n.赞成,赞成的意见,赞成者 | |
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3 transcript | |
n.抄本,誊本,副本,肄业证书 | |
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4 mediated | |
调停,调解,斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 ); 居间促成; 影响…的发生; 使…可能发生 | |
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5 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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6 multinational | |
adj.多国的,多种国籍的;n.多国籍公司,跨国公司 | |
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7 trump | |
n.王牌,法宝;v.打出王牌,吹喇叭 | |
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8 adversary | |
adj.敌手,对手 | |
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9 custody | |
n.监护,照看,羁押,拘留 | |
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10 alleging | |
断言,宣称,辩解( allege的现在分词 ) | |
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11 demonstrations | |
证明( demonstration的名词复数 ); 表明; 表达; 游行示威 | |
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12 evade | |
vt.逃避,回避;避开,躲避 | |
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13 negotiations | |
协商( negotiation的名词复数 ); 谈判; 完成(难事); 通过 | |
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14 extraneous | |
adj.体外的;外来的;外部的 | |
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15 indirectly | |
adv.间接地,不直接了当地 | |
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16 humanitarian | |
n.人道主义者,博爱者,基督凡人论者 | |
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17 mutual | |
adj.相互的,彼此的;共同的,共有的 | |
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