US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack said that Washington did not seek to overthrow Iran's ruling system in a wide-ranging interview published on Friday in which he called on Tehran to restart talks over its nuclear program.
“My bosses, President Trump and Secretary Rubio, are not into regime change. They are into a regional solution left to the region itself. That issue was Israel’s. What President Trump stepped in to do in that 12-day war ending was historic. It was amazing,” Barack said.
He was speaking in an interview with the UAE-based IMI Media Group, published on The National newspaper website on Friday.
The envoy, a former real estate investor of Lebanese ancestry, said the Trump administration wants Tehran to engage in a genuine dialogue on its disputed nuclear program and suggested Iran had stalled an agreement.
“I think our president has been clear. He is open to real discussions. He is not open to senselessly kicking the can down the road, and he knows the program,” Barrack added.
“If the Iranians want to listen to what this administration is saying on enrichment, on stopping funding of the proxies, it is the answer.”
Donald Trump has set three conditions for Iran to meet before starting negotiations with Washington: zero uranium enrichment, an end to backing Tehran's armed allies in the region and curbs to its missile program. Tehran sees the terms as a non-starter.
“Our president is smart enough to know that baiting him just to get a dialogue and continuing this senseless killing through surrogates is not going to happen. So I think he is 100% available to it,” Barrack said. “We have the hope that Iran is available to it. Either way, it’s the fastest road to a solution in this region.”
'No regime change'
Barrack criticized the past pro-regime change policy in the region, saying that since 1946 there have been 93 regime changes and coups, none of which succeeded, including two in Iran.
“For (Trump) then to be imputed with regime change, we had two regime changes in Iran already. Neither one worked. So I think wisely leave it to the region to solve. Why is it Israel did not finish the job? We are not at the end yet. It is chapter five, and we have five more chapters to go.”
The United States held five rounds of negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program earlier this year, for which Trump set a 60-day deadline.
When no agreement was reached by the 61st day on June 13, Israel launched a surprise military offensive, followed by US strikes on June 22 targeting key nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow.
Both Israeli and Iranian officials have vowed a devastating military effort against their foe in the event of a renewed conflict.