“Overall we have had relatively successful and good talks … we have been involved in exchanging a great deal of messages with the American side. We have come a long way. So now where are we? At at a stage where there are just a couple of issues remaining on the table, but which are very significant and important,” the top Iranian diplomat stated in an interview with NPR in New York City.

Speaking about the demand of the Iranian side regarding US guarantees, Amir-Abdollahian stressed, “The issue of guarantees is very important to us … I mean, the American side has taken some steps towards giving us guarantees. We just need these guarantees to become a little bit more complete.”

Turning to the issue of Mahsa Amini’s death and the unrest which was flamed in Iran, the Iranian foreign minister said, “There are protesters of course and they are expressing what they demand in a peaceful way. But now most of these people in the streets are being led and guided by well-organized channels.”

Answering a question regarding the action of a UN official that accused Iran of using excessive force in some cases to suppress the protests, he emphasized, “You know, if it is peaceful, they can do it freely. There is not going to be any force used. But if they’re going to torch the ambulances or steal money from the banks, then the police have no choice but to react proportionately. What did you do when people tried to seize the Congress? Didn’t you block your president’s access to Twitter? Was it a democratic act, or was it for your national security reasons?”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Amir-Abdollahian stated, “If the United States really, really cares about the Iranian people it can pay attention to the fact that thousands of Iranian kids have died because of sanctions that it has imposed … Instead of worrying about people’s having access to free internet, worry about those people dying every day because of their sanctions.”