The Iranian foreign ministry refused to comment on the information about the resumption of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington. Nasser Kanani, the official representative of the Iranian foreign ministry, made this statement on Monday.
"We do not confirm or comment on speculations in some media related to resuming talks [with the United States] on lifting sanctions against the Islamic Republic," he was quoted as saying by Fars News Agency. - "Iran has joined the negotiation process, which aims to protect the rights and interests of the people of the Islamic Republic. We will continue our actions in line with our repeatedly announced strategy."
At the same time, Kanani confirmed that Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri held talks with representatives of three European countries in Abu Dhabi, as well as talks with the European Union's coordinator for the nuclear deal, Enrique Mora, in Doha. "Iran has clearly stated its position to the European countries and listened to the opinion of the other side. We are using all diplomatic opportunities to achieve positive results as part of the negotiations to lift sanctions." The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman also noted that the meetings in the UAE and Qatar took place because of the European side's desire to continue dialogue with the Islamic Republic. "Europe must adjust its strategy and not follow in the footsteps of the United States. Imposing sanctions harms not only Iran, but also European states themselves," stressed the representative of the Islamic Republic's foreign ministry.
"Although Iran is serious about achieving the results in the negotiation process, we need to understand whether the US really intends to fix the misguided policies it has pursued toward the Islamic republic in the past," Kanani said.
Resumption of negotiations
On June 13, Bagheri said he met with his British, German, and French counterparts in Abu Dhabi to discuss "some issues of mutual concern." The next day, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources, that US President Joe Biden's administration secretly resumed talks with Tehran to reduce the likelihood of Iran having nuclear weapons and to reach a prisoner exchange agreement.
In 2015, the permanent five members of the UN Security Council and Germany signed a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran aimed at addressing the crisis over Tehran's nuclear developments. Previous US President Donald Trump decided in 2018 to withdraw from this arrangement. The current head of the US administration, Joe Biden, has repeatedly signaled his willingness to bring Washington back into the nuclear deal.
Russia, Britain, Germany, China, the US and France have been negotiating with Iran in Vienna since April 2021 to restore the JCPOA to its original form. On November 10, 2022, Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, announced that another round of talks with representatives of the Islamic Republic ended in the Austrian capital without any result.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: sipo/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS