Until now, Iran had steadfastly refused to sit at the same table with the United States.
It was reported on Monday that Iran would consider speaking directly with the United States during the ongoing negotiations on its nuclear program, which are taking place in Vienna, if necessary to reach a “good agreement”.
This was stated by the current Foreign Minister of the oil country, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
“If during the negotiation process we reach a point where, in order to reach a good agreement with solid guarantees, it is necessary to hold talks with the United States, we will not leave it out of our work agenda,” the minister declared on television.
The head of Iranian diplomacy indicated that Washington “has sent messages” to Tehran to hold direct talks, but so far the Persian country has refused to do so.
“Our conversations with the United States are through Mora (Enrique Mora, European coordinator of the negotiations) and one or two of the member countries of the JCPOA (acronym in English of the nuclear pact),” added Abdolahian.
Until now, Iran had steadfastly refused to sit at the same table with the United States.
In the eight rounds held so far since April, the entire process has taken place indirectly, with Tehran negotiating with Germany, France, the UK, China and Russia in a Vienna hotel.
The minister’s remarks come after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appeared to indicate a few days ago that he was loosening his stance in the nuclear talks.
“Talks and negotiations with the enemy at certain times does not mean surrender,” Khamenei said in a speech.
The Iranian supreme leader’s words were interpreted as a sign that Iran is preparing for a possible agreement.
Iran and Germany, France, the United Kingdom, China, Russia and the United States signed an agreement in 2015 that limited the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of US sanctions.
The then US president, Donald Trump (2017-2021), withdrew the United States from the pact in 2018 and imposed new sanctions on Tehran.
Iran responded in 2019 by breaching the limits imposed on its atomic program by accumulating more uranium than agreed.
The goal of the ongoing negotiations is for the US to return to the pact and for Iran to once again fully comply with it, for which it calls for the lifting of sanctions. (I)
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