Tehran, IRNA – Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has hailed the “relatively positive atmosphere” during the Rome negotiations between Iran and the United States, saying he is cautiously optimistic on the prospects of the talks.
“Relatively positive atmosphere in Rome has enabled progress on principles and objectives of a possible deal,” Araqchi wrote in a post on his X page on Saturday night.
It came after the second round of talks between Tehran and Washington came to an end as the two sides agreed to hold more discussions on Iran’s nuclear program and termination of U.S. sanctions.
According to Araqchi, the Iranian side made clear during the talks that many Iranians believe that the 2015 Iran deal, also called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is “no longer good enough for us.”
“To them, what is left from that deal are ‘lessons learned,’” he said, adding that he tends to agree with that view.
He was referring to the unilateral U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 and imposition of “maximum pressure” sanctions on Iran despite the fact that the Islamic Republic had fully honored its commitments to the accord.
The foreign minister also said that expert level talks will begin in the coming days, after which “we will be in a better position to judge.”
“For now, optimism may be warranted but only with a great deal of caution,” he added.
Iran thanks Italy and Oman for co-hosting the talks
Esmaeil Baqaei, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, also said in an X post on Saturday night that the Iranian team was leaving Rome with a “sense of deep appreciation to Italy and Oman for co-hosting this important round of Iran-United States indirect talks.”
“We remain committed to the cause of dialogue & diplomacy as our world continues to face unprecedented challenges and threats to the rule of law and common human values,” he added.
The Rome talks were a follow-up of negotiations held last Saturday in Muscat, Oman. During both rounds, the Iranian delegation was led by Araqchi and the U.S. team was headed by Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy.
4354**9417
Your Comment