site.btaForeign Minister: US-Iran Ceasefire's Sustainability Depends on Iran Abandoning Nuclear Weapons Development

The morning brought relief to everyone hoping for an end to the conflict in the Middle East, caretaker Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky said on Bulgarian National Television on Wednesday. She was commenting on the two-week ceasefire that the United States and Iran agreed on late on Tuesday. In her words, global markets reacted immediately - oil prices dropped instantly, and the dollar also fell. According to her, the ceasefire's sustainability depends on Iran abandoning its desire to develop nuclear weapons. 

Neynsky added that sufficient guarantees must be provided through international institutions that this enriched uranium is not being used for nuclear weapons, and that the shelling of Gulf states must cease and the Strait of Hormuz must be opened. “In practice, this ceasefire essentially sets out the clear parametres by which we will assess whether it will be sustainable,” said Neynsky.

The caretaker Foreign Minister also commented that it is too early for optimism, as the tense situation over the past few weeks has been extremely serious. When asked who could serve as a mediator in the conflict, Neynsky said that at this stage, it is Pakistan. The negotiations between the US and Iran are expected to begin on Friday and take place in Islamabad, she specified.

Neynsky also reported that a few hours earlier, the UN resolution aimed at pressuring for the opening of the Strait of Hormuz was rejected. “This resolution was rejected despite numerous amendments intended to ensure that Russia and China would abstain, but they ultimately voted against it, which once again demonstrates that the conflicts we are currently witnessing are interconnected,” she noted. Neynsky further commented that “Russia is reaping enormous financial gains from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.”