美国国家公共电台 NPR--A U.S. special envoy responds to Iran on nuclear talks, protests over a woman's death

A U.S. special envoy¹ responds to Iran on nuclear talks, protests over a woman's death

Transcript³

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

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

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

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

7 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

8 adversary   

adj.敌手，对手

参考例句：

• He saw her as his main adversary within the company.他将她视为公司中主要的对手。
• They will do anything to undermine their adversary's reputation.他们会不择手段地去损害对手的名誉。

9 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

10 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

11 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

12 evade   

vt.逃避，回避；避开，躲避

参考例句：

• He tried to evade the embarrassing question.他企图回避这令人难堪的问题。
• You are in charge of the job.How could you evade the issue?你是负责人，你怎么能对这个问题不置可否？

13 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

14 extraneous   

adj.体外的；外来的；外部的

参考例句：

• I can choose to ignore these extraneous thoughts.我可以选择无视这些外来的想法。
• Reductant from an extraneous source is introduced.外来的还原剂被引进来。

15 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

16 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

17 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。