Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei says the talks in Muscat on Saturday were the first round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States regarding the removal of the “illegal sanctions,” during which the two sides agreed on the “general framework” of future negotiations.
“We have repeatedly said and shown in practice that we have no concerns or obstacles to build trust regarding the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program,” Baqaei said in an interview on Sunday.
“We have proven that in practice over the past two decades, and everyone knows what happened to that agreement, Iran fully adhered to its commitments, and ultimately the United States unilaterally withdrew from it,” he said in reference to the 2015 deal that Iran had signed with the U.S. and other countries.
Baqaei pointed out that the talks on Saturday were mediated by the Omani foreign minister and involved four rounds of back-and-forth exchanges of messages, positions, and general frameworks, saying that ultimately, both sides agreed that the talks were constructive and conducted in a respectful atmosphere.
In response to a question whether the two sides expressed their conditions and demands, Baqaei said, “Yes, in principle, in any negotiation of this kind, general frameworks are exchanged in the first meeting and both sides specify in what format and under what principles they are willing to negotiate.”
On Saturday, top negotiators from Iran and the U.S. exchanged the viewpoints of their respective governments on Iran’s nuclear program and the removal of sanctions on the Islamic Republic through Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, the Foreign Ministry said.
Following the talks, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who led the Iranian delegation, commended Oman’s foreign minister for facilitating the negotiations, noting that Al Busaidi actively shuttled between the two delegations to convey their messages.
Araqchi confirmed that a second round of indirect talks with the American team would take place next week to “discuss the framework of an agreement.” He added that the next round may not be held in Muscat, but Oman would remain the mediator.
“The sides demonstrated their willingness to advance the talks and reach an agreement that is mutually acceptable,” Araqchi said.
The top diplomat emphasized that Iran was not seeking to waste time, but acknowledged that “negotiations will not be easy and require determination.”
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