“Moving the goalposts constitutes a professional foul and an unfair act in football. In diplomacy any such shifting (pushed by hawks who fail to grasp the logic/art of commonsensical deal-making) could simply risk any overtures falling apart,” Esmaeil Baqaei said in a post on his X account on Wednesday.
“It could be perceived as lack of seriousness, let alone good faith. We're still in testing mode,” he added.
His post came after Witkoff said on Tuesday that an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program would require Tehran to “stop and eliminate its nuclear enrichment and weaponization program.”
The American envoy had already announced that Washington would be satisfied with a cap on the level of Iran’s uranium enrichment activities.
Delegations from Iran and the US held a round of indirect talks in Muscat on April 12, mediated by the foreign minister of Oman.
The two sides, led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Witkoff, have expressed satisfaction with the initial steps.
The next round of negotiations is scheduled for April 19.