Iran: 'Coercion' won't 'ensure submission' on imminent nuclear deal
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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that Iran and the U.S.-led Western delegation have never been closer to reaching a deal on Tehran's nuclear program on Friday, four days ahead of the deadline for reaching a final deal.
In a video posted on YouTube, Zarif said he sees a "long overdue end to an unnecessary crisis" ahead. "At this 11th hour, despite some differences that remain, we have never been closer to a lasting outcome," he said. But he warned there "is no guarantee.
"Getting to yes requires the courage to compromise, the self-confidence to be flexible, the maturity to be reasonable, the wisdom to set aside illusions and the audacity to break old habits," Zarif continued. "Some stubbornly believe that military and economic coercion can ensure submission; they still insist on spending other peoples' money or sacrificing other peoples' children for their own delusional designs.
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"I see hope, because I see the emergence of reason over illusion," he added. "I sense that my negotiating partners have realized that coercion and pressure never lead to lasting solutions, but to more conflict and further hostility."