Iran still engaged in JCPOA revival talks: FM
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian says Iran has not distanced itself from negotiations aimed at reviving a 2015 deal on Iran’s nuclear program, known as the JCPOA, adding that success in the talks will depend on the way the Americans deal with the issue in the future.
“If the Americans will act realistically, and not repeat their former tricky media approach, we will in a short while reaching an agreement,” Amirabdollahian said in an interview with Al Alam television released late on Sunday.
The minister made the remarks after a visit to Iraq last week where he discussed various issues with Iraqi foreign minister Fouad Hussain, including Iraq’s efforts to mediate between Iran and the US during the JCPOA revival talks.
“After returning from his visit to Washington, Mr. Fouad Hussain was carrying a message from the American side which said they are ready to conclude an agreement, and we have always welcomed the diplomatic path and negotiations and have never distanced ourselves from the talks,” he said.
Amirabdollahian insisted that Iran’s redlines in the talks must be observed, adding that if all parties to the JCPOA return to observing their commitments under the deal, Iran will act accordingly.
He also described his consultations with Iraqi officials during his stay in Baghdad as successful and said that negotiations covered business and economic cooperation as well as the completion of key infrastructure projects including two cross-border railway projects.
The foreign minister said that there were also talks about the sand and dust storms affecting the two neighboring countries, adding that it was agreed between Iran and Iraq that within the next six months an international UN-sponsored conference will be held in Iran to tackle the problem.
On Iran-Saudi Arabia relations, he said that normalization between Tehran and Riyadh will benefit the entire West Asia region.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always welcomed dialogue and interaction with Saudi Arabia and good progress has been achieved in five previous rounds of talks with Iraq's contribution and we are now planning a new round of negotiation,” he said.