Iran Denies Direct Talks with United States
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, denying statements made by Jake Sullivan, the U.S. National Security Advisor, said that Iran has had no direct talks with the United States during recent months and throughout the Vienna negotiations.
Saeed Khatibzadeh said on December 29 (December 20) at a press conference in response to statements by Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor, regarding sending direct messages to Tehran: “Regarding the Vienna talks, there have been no direct conversations with the United States during these months when the Vienna negotiations have been ongoing.”
According to Mehr News Agency, he stated that since the beginning of negotiations in Vienna, “some messages have been received through Mr. Enrique Mora in written and non-written form regarding negotiation topics,” and added that responses to these messages “were given on the spot.”
Enrique Mora is the Deputy for Foreign Policy of the European Union and coordinator of the Vienna negotiations.
Regarding U.S. proposals, Khatibzadeh said that the country “contrary to what it stated today, has not presented any proposals or concrete text to the 1+4,” and according to him, this “raises big question marks about U.S. intentions.”
He also criticized Germany, France, and Britain, which are advancing negotiations with Iran to revive the JCPOA, saying that these countries “engaged in media campaigns and provide false and fabricated information to the media.”
The spokesperson of the Islamic Republic’s Foreign Ministry denied direct talks between Iran and the United States while negotiations between the 4+1 group and Iran to revive the JCPOA and return the “United States” to this agreement have begun.
The new phase of the seventh round of JCPOA revival negotiations in Vienna was suspended again on Friday, December 26 (December 17). Simultaneously, the European parties to the nuclear agreement (Britain, France, and Germany) issued a joint statement citing Iran’s request for a pause in negotiations as the reason for the interruption, calling it a disappointing measure.
In response, Ali Bagheri Kani, the head of the Islamic Republic’s negotiating team, denied Iran’s request to pause negotiations and said: “We had agreed from the very beginning that after reaching a draft agreement, we would take a normal break.”
Meanwhile, the “Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly” also issued a report on December 24 (December 15) titled “Vienna Negotiations: Clash of Wills and Narrative Wars,” referring to what it called “U.S. efforts to conclude a one-sided and incomplete agreement,” predicting that “the result of the negotiations will not lead to an early and lasting agreement.”
No specific date has yet been announced for the resumption of these negotiations.
Source: DW
