From here on, talks must be followed through carefully, with red lines clearly defined for both sides, says Iran leader
\n Tehran
\nSupreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday he was neither \u201coverly optimistic nor pessimistic\u201d about talks with the US on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme, in an apparent move by Tehran to play down growing public expectations of a deal.
\nFailure to reach a deal with President Donald Trump to end Iran\u2019s decades-long dispute with the West could profoundly hurt the Islamic Republic, Iranian politicians and insiders have said, even if Washington is subsequently portrayed by Tehran as the guilty party.
\nAfter last weekend\u2019s talks between Tehran and Washington in Oman, which both sides described as positive, Iranian expectations of economic relief have soared, according to Iranians reached by telephone and by messages posted by Iranians on social media.
\nThe two sides have agreed to hold more talks on April 19 in Oman.
\nIran\u2019s battered rial currency has gained some 20% against the dollar in the past few days, with many Iranians hoping a deal to end Iran\u2019s economic isolation may be within reach.
\n\u201cWe are neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic regarding them. After all, it is a process which was decided and its first steps have been well implemented,\u201d Khamenei said in a meeting with lawmakers, according to state media.
\nTehran has approached the talks warily, doubting the likelihood of an agreement and suspicious of Trump, who abandoned Tehran\u2019s 2015 nuclear pact with six powers during his first term in 2018 and has repeatedly threatened to bomb Iran if there is no deal.
\n\u201cFrom here on, it (the talks) must be followed through carefully, with red lines clearly defined for both the other side and for us. The negotiations may lead to results, or they may not,\u201d said Khamenei.
\n\u201cAvoid linking the country\u2019s fate to these talks.\u201d
\nSince relations with Washington collapsed after Iran\u2019s 1979 Islamic revolution that ousted the US-backed Shah, enmity toward the United States has always been a rallying point for Iran\u2019s clerical rulers.
\nBut inflation, unemployment and lack of investment as a result of crippling sanctions, reimposed after Trump ditched the 2015 nuclear pact, persuaded Khamenei to support talks with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
From here on, talks must be followed through carefully, with red lines clearly defined for both sides, says Iran leader Tehran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday he was neither \u201coverly optimistic nor pessimistic\u201d about talks with the US on Iran\u2019s nuclear programme, in an apparent move by Tehran to play down growing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":472762,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-472745","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n