(AGENPARL) - Roma, 14 Agosto 2023 - (AGENPARL) – lun 14 agosto 2023 Department Press Briefing Index
Monday, August 14, 2023
1:28 p.m. EDT
Briefer: Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel
~NIGER~
~IRAN~
~IRAN / SOUTH KOREA~
~IRAN~
~ISRAEL / PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES~
~AFGHANISTAN~
~TÜRKIYE / SYRIA~
~IRAQ~
~TÜRKIYE / IRAQ~
~MEXICO / UKRAINE~
~RUSSIA~
~RUSSIA / UKRAINE~
~YEMEN~
~CHINA / TAIWAN~
~HAITI~
8/14/2023
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
DEPARTMENT PRESS BRIEFING
DPB # 88
MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 2023
(ON THE RECORD UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED)
Briefer: Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson
1:28 p.m. EDT
MR PATEL: Good afternoon, everybody. Apologies for being a little tardy. I have nothing at
the top today, so Matt, please feel free to kick us off.
QUESTION: Okay, except that I don’t have any questions that I think will elicit any kind of a
newsworthy response from you, so I’ll defer.
MR PATEL: Okay. Simon, or the two wires want to dish it out?
QUESTION: Just a quick – unless you have something.
QUESTION: Go ahead.
MR PATEL: Go ahead.
QUESTION: We’re all very polite. Can I start with Niger?
MR PATEL: Sure.
QUESTION: The military rulers have said that they’re going to try former President Bazoum. Do
you have any reaction to that? And do you have any update on further contact from this
building with President Bazoum?
MR PATEL: Sure, Shaun. So first let me just say we are incredibly dismayed by the reports that
President Bazoum’s unjust detention has gone an even step further, and now that the CNSP is
threatening prosecution. This action is completely unwarranted and unjustified, and candidly,
it will not contribute to a peaceful resolution of this crisis. It is a further affront, in our opinion,
to democracy and justice and to the respect of the rule of law. And a threat like this
underscores the urgency of respecting the constitutional order in Niger.
And in terms of – I believe you also asked about engagements. We’ve continued to remain
deeply engaged in the region. I don’t have any additional calls to read out at this time, but I’m
sure we’ll be able to share with you more on that throughout the day.
8/14/2023
QUESTION: Sure. In diplomacy with the military leaders, of course, Victoria Nuland, Deputy
Secretary Nuland was there recently. Has there been any further contact with the military
rulers to convey this message directly?
MR PATEL: I’m not aware of any additional contact. But you all heard from Acting Deputy
Secretary Nuland last week as she was getting ready to leave Niamey, and the message that the
United States sent was quite clear. We expect to see President Bazoum and his family
unharmed, we expect to see them released, and we expect to see an immediate respect for the
constitutional order in Niger.
QUESTION: Can I just do one more on ECOWAS?
MR PATEL: Sure.
QUESTION: I know there’s a – there was a statement by the Secretary Friday, if not mistaken.
But – or – well, whatever it was. But the ECOWAS made the decision last week to have sort of a
military standby force. What’s your interpretation of that? Is that helpful at all towards
reaching a resolution where – to what extent does U.S. support that?
MR PATEL: First let me just say our – ECOWAS has shown immense leadership throughout this
crisis, and the United States has appreciated their work and leadership as well as the work and
leadership of the African Union throughout this crisis.
As you said, ECOWAS has been also very clear and very clear publicly that military intervention
should be a last resort, something that we agree with. And we continue to be focused on
finding a diplomatic solution and are in close contact with ECOWAS and their leadership on this.
At the end of the day, we are all in alignment that we want a peaceful resolution to this crisis
and the preservation of constitutional order in Niger.
QUESTION: Vedant?
QUESTION: Move on to Iran?
QUESTION: On this point?
MR PATEL: On – can I do – finish, wrap this up, before I come back to you, Simon?
QUESTION: Very quickly -MR PATEL: On Niger.
QUESTION: — because I think you may have addressed it. They have – ECOWAS has given,
what, until yesterday, right, until Sunday before they said that nothing has happened. So are
you likely to see any military intervention in the next couple days and so on?
8/14/2023
MR PATEL: First of all, I’m not going to look into a crystal ball of hypotheticals, but I will
reiterate what I said to Shaun was that ECOWAS itself has also indicated that military
intervention should be a last resort. That’s something we’d agree with. And of course, our
focus continues to be on finding a diplomatic solution to this, and we’re in close contact with
ECOWAS and other partners and allies, as well as regional partners and allies on this as well.
Simon.
QUESTION: Yes, moving to Iran.
MR PATEL: Sure.
QUESTION: After the announcement of a deal on detainees last week, the Secretary was asked
whether he was aware of any Americans that are still in prison. He said he’s not – he wasn’t
aware of anyone. I wonder – I guess he’s not including permanent residents in that because
there’s an LPR, Shahab Dalili, who is still in prison there. His son is outside the White House
today, I believe, and has been there protesting about that. What’s the administration’s position
on Shahab Dalili?
MR PATEL: So let me say a couple of things. If you double-check the totality of the transcript, I
believe the Secretary was asked if he was aware of any American citizens or LPRs who were
designated as wrongfully or unjustly detained in Iran, and that’s what he was speaking to.
And what I would say in the case of Mr. Dalili is that that case has not yet been determined
wrongfully detained. We obviously don’t discuss the specific details of individual cases who
have not deemed – been deemed wrongfully detained. But what I can say is that Abram Paley,
the deputy special envoy for Iran, has had the opportunity to speak with the Dalili family. Of
course, we – there is a process that is ongoing as it relates to actively reviewing and assessing
individual cases for indicators for wrongful detention. I’m certainly not going to get into those
– get into those. But let me just be very clear about this so there is no confusion: Every U.S.
citizen wrongfully held in Iran has been released on house arrest as part of the news that we
shared last week.
QUESTION: And when was that conversation with the family?
MR PATEL: I don’t have a specific timeline.
QUESTION: Was it today or not? Are you talking about -MR PATEL: I’m happy to check on a specific day. I just know that they’ve had the chance to
speak.
QUESTION: Since the deal?
MR PATEL: It was recently, but I don’t have a specific timeline.
8/14/2023
QUESTION: Sure. And just to follow up on the deal in general, I wonder what’s the thinking
behind this staggered approach where these people have been released into house arrest –
what’s the order of things and how we can expect things to unfold now in terms of the transfer
of funds, the release of Iranian prisoners in the U.S., and their release from Iran? Will they –
will those other steps sort of – can you sort of say whether those other steps won’t be taken
until the Americans are outside of Iran?
MR PATEL: So I’m not going to get into the specifics of the process as it continues to be a very
active and ongoing situation. But Simon, to be quite clear, we would want nothing more than
for these American citizens to be back in the United States immediately, and we continue to
believe that to be the case because they are wrongfully, unjustly detained. And we continue to
that – that to be the case for every American national who is wrongfully detained around the
world. But this is an ongoing process. This, as we were quite clear last week, is a positive step.
It’s an ongoing negotiation, but we’re certainly not going to rest until we have brought them
back to the United States.
Jenny, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you.
QUESTION: (Off-mike.)
MR PATEL: I will get to everybody on this. I know there’s a lot of interest on this topic. Jenny.
QUESTION: Following up on Dalili, was the conversation with Abram Paley the first time
anyone from the State Department had spoken with his family, and was there ever any
indication that he would be included as part of this deal given that he is a permanent resident?
MR PATEL: I’m just not going to speak to the specifics of some of these private discussions,
especially as these are conversations that are ongoing and cases that are still active.
QUESTION: And then more broadly, has anyone from this building spoken with the five who
are on house arrest since the Secretary’s remarks last week? How frequent is that
conversation?
MR PATEL: So the department had the opportunity to speak with these five individuals the day
that they were moved to house arrest. Our engagement with them as well as the families
continues. We’ve also been in touch with these individuals’ families’ members. I’m not going
to read out specific conversations, but our engagement in this continues and will continue to be
robust, and we’ll make sure to share with you all as we have more.
QUESTION: Can you give us a sense of how frequent it’s been? Has it been daily, every couple
days?
MR PATEL: I’m not going to – I’m not going to offer an exact cadence just because these are
active and ongoing negotiations and for security reasons.
8/14/2023
QUESTION: Vedant?
MR PATEL: Guita, go ahead.
QUESTION: Thank you. Does the Robert Levinson Hostage-Taking – Hostage Recovery and
Hostage-Taking Accountability Act apply to Dalili?
MR PATEL: Apply to?
QUESTION: Shahab Dalili.
MR PATEL: So I’m not going to speak about specific cases, Guita. I think, again, the important
thing to remember is that in cases that have not been deemed wrongfully detained, we
regularly and actively review individual cases for indications and indicators of possible wrongful
detention. I’m not going to get into that process – not just Iran, in countries around the world –
that is – that is those assessments and reviews are happening, and so I just am not going to get
into further specifics.
QUESTION: The act itself – okay, one aspect is wrongfully detained persons. The other is – it
says United States nationals. If somebody’s not a citizen, it wouldn’t – if the person is a
permanent resident, it wouldn’t apply to that person?
MR PATEL: Guita, you have seen us in a number of cases from before – well, not a number, but
I can think of one in which someone has been an American – not an American citizen, an LPR –
and they have been deemed wrongfully detained. The most recent case that I can think of is
the successfully resolved case of Paul Rusesabagina. So to – that was a roundabout way of
answering your question. No, that is not necessarily a requirement. But again, I’m just not
going to get into specifics as these are active and ongoing processes.
Nadia, you had your hand up.
QUESTION: Another question, Vedant, please?
MR PATEL: Let me go to Nadia. You’ve gotten two already. Go ahead, Nadia.
QUESTION: Thank you. So Mr. Dalili has been – sorry. Mr. Dalili has been arrested for seven
years, so why it’s taken seven years to determine whether he is wrongly detained or not? And
what does it mean that – if you cannot put him in this category, does mean that Iranian has the
right to detain him?
MR PATEL: Nadia, I am not going to speak about the specifics of his detention or his case. That
is not something we do and certainly not from up here, and so I’m just not going to get into the
specifics on that.
8/14/2023
What I will just reiterate again, which I’ve said a couple of times now, is that in cases where a
determination of wrongful detention has not been made, we regularly and actively review
those individual cases for indicators of possible wrongful detention.
QUESTION: I mean, why this has not been -MR PATEL: I am just not going to speak specifically about individual cases.
QUESTION: Who can tell us why he is not deemed -MR PATEL: These are active, sensitive processes, and I am just not going to speak to them up
here from the podium.
QUESTION: Can I just follow up? Follow-up on this?
MR PATEL: Go ahead, Alex.
QUESTION: Thanks, Vedant. Happy Monday. A couple of questions on that. When you say
there’s a process that’s going on, is it fair for us to expect that the deal is not done yet? You
still can squeeze in new names?
MR PATEL: Alex, I would not – what I would just say is that this is an active process and an
active negotiation. It is indicative of these five individuals who were moved to house arrest last
week. I’m not going to speak about it further as it continues to be an active and ongoing
process. And I will just leave it at that
QUESTION: I know you don’t want to talk about cases, but I want to bring another name to the
table. Jamshid Sharmahd, U.S. resident for more than 20 years, has been almost killed in L.A.
and then got kidnapped in 2020. Are you considering his name as a potential hostage that
needs to be released?
MR PATEL: So Mr. Sharmahd is a German citizen, and I will leave it to our partners in Germany
to speak to his situation. What I can say is that the Iranian regime’s treatment of Mr. Sharmahd
has been reprehensible. He has been sentenced to death after a legal proceeding that has been
widely criticized as a sham trial. And we condemn this kind of treatment in the strongest of
terms.
QUESTION: My last question is on the deal more broadly.
MR PATEL: Uh-huh.
QUESTION: You spent a month – certainly since last September – in this podium trying to
explain to us how dangerous this mullah regime is not only for the Iranian people, for American
citizens, for the region; you talked about Azerbaijan-Iran relationship, Ukraine. My question is:
Do you think the mullah regime with six additional billion dollars in hand will be – is less
dangerous today than it was yesterday?
8/14/2023
MR PATEL: Well, Alex, I kind of reject the premise of your question, and let me say this in a
couple of ways. First, as I said to Simon, negotiations and this process is ongoing. Secondly,
any – and you saw the Secretary speak to this a little bit last week on Thursday – any of this
public reporting and discussions about money is money that is held in South Korea which is in –
which is Iranian money. It’s Iran’s money. And allowing Iran to use such funds for
humanitarian purposes is consistent with longstanding U.S. policy to ensure that our sanctions
do not prevent humanitarian goods and services from flowing to ordinary people no matter
how objectionable or problematic their government is.
Let’s also take a step back to remember, Alex, that the reason these funds are in South Korea in
the first place is because the previous administration allowed several countries to continue
purchasing oil from Iran and to place those funds in special accounts. These funds have been
available to Iran to use for humanitarian transactions, like food and medicine, since the
previous administration.
Iran’s accounts in other countries have been used to purchase humanitarian goods and services
and to conduct other non-sanctionable transactions. And this money, as we continue to move
along the process and have these negotiations and discussions, any kinds of funds that move
will be subject to the same rigorous restrictions once it moves out of South Korea.
QUESTION: Do you think – do you find it troubling that Iran will get access to this funding -MR PATEL: Let me also -QUESTION: – on the first anniversary of Masa Amini’s -MR PATEL: Let me say – let me say one more thing on your last question. At every instance
since we’ve talked about this, including when the Secretary spoke about it last week, we have
been quite clear, and I’ll be clear about it again, that this does not change – this does not
change the continued problematic, malign destabilizing actions that Iran has taken, not just in
the region but in the region broadly, actions that we continue to take serious issue with, actions
that we will continue to hold them accountable for, many of which you just said they’re
egregious human rights violations, their continued support for the Russian war machine by the
provision of drones to be used in Kyiv. All of these things the United States will continue to
hold the Iranian regime accountable for.
What this is about, ultimately, though, Alex, is about bringing American citizens home. And we
hope that – a process has started last week, and we hope that at the end of this process, these
five American citizens will be able to come back to the United States, and that’s what we’re
going to continue to work for.
Anything else on this before I move on?
QUESTION: Yes. Yes.
MR PATEL: Janne, you’ve had your hand up.
8/14/2023
QUESTION: Thank you. If U.S. lifted Iran’s frozen funds in South Korea for release of the
detainee in Iran, the Congress, U.S. Congress, is concerned that Iran will use this money for
terrorism. What is the State Department position on this?
MR PATEL: I think I just answered your question in answering Alex.
QUESTION: Yes.
MR PATEL: So I will just – let me be very plain and simple. The use of funds like these for
humanitarian purposes – for food, aid, things like that – has always been applicable and
allowed under U.S. sanctions. As it relates to Iranian destabilizing activities in the region – their
funding of terrorism, their provision of drones to the Russian Federation, their crackdown on
human rights, all of those things – countering them is something that the United States is going
to continue to pursue. It’s something that we will continue to remain vigilant on. And you’ve
seen us take steps at regular intervals to continue to hold the Iranian regime accountable – not
just for their human rights violations, but also for the things that they have done to support the
Russian Federation as well.
Julia, go ahead.
QUESTION: Vedant, on South Korea. Vedant, South – South -MR PATEL: I’m going to work the room a little bit, there’s a lot of -QUESTION: On Iran.
QUESTION: South Korea is – South Korea is worried about exchange rate, current exchange
rate. Do you want to do – send these funds immediately, or just a little bit by the time?
MR PATEL: I will let our South Korean partners speak to any concerns that they have on their
own currency.
Julia, go ahead.
QUESTION: What indications does this deal have for potential nuclear deal talks with Iran?
MR PATEL: So this – as I – as you heard me say, this is a positive step. It’s a positive step – let
me re-clarify. It is a positive step in our hope and desire for these American citizens to be able
to come home. But it is not linked to any other issue. And we have not changed any aspect of
our overall approach to Iran. Whether it be their nuclear program, our belief continues to be
and our goal continues to be that Iran will not obtain a nuclear weapon. But also as it relates to
the other issues that I mentioned – their malign activities in the region, their human rights
crackdowns – our views, our work on that, has not changed.
QUESTION: So there hasn’t been any movement on the nuclear front (inaudible)?
8/14/2023
MR PATEL: As I said, these are unlinked issues.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
MR PATEL: Go ahead.
QUESTION: You talked about the (inaudible) for the medicines and also for the humanitarian,
but Iranian -MR PATEL: It’s not that they will, it’s that that’s the only way they can use it. Let’s get it clear.
QUESTION: What the Iranian officials say – what the Iranian officials say, including that said
Mohammad Marandi – he’s the top advisor for the Iranian negotiation team – he says that this
is unfair claim and it’s not true because we have the full access to this money and there is no
Qatari company’s involvement, and we can purchase any goods that we want. How could you
make sure that Iran will not use this money to buy any goods that for their benefits; at the end,
this money will not go to the IRGC and they are not using against you in the Gulf?
MR PATEL: Well, I’ve not seen those specific comments, but there are pretty clear and strict
guardrails in place, and I’m happy to have my colleagues at the Department of Treasury walk
you through how our sanctions regime and sanctions enforcement works, if that’s what you’re
interested in.
But to be very clear, again, this is longstanding U.S. policy, to ensure that our sanctions do not
prevent humanitarian goods flowing where they need to go. And as I have said before, this
money has been available to use by Iran for humanitarian transactions like food and medicine
since the previous administration. And this money will continue to have rigorous restrictions
and guardrails. It can only be used for humanitarian purposes.
QUESTION: And one more question.
MR PATEL: Sure.