Tehran, IRNA – Tehran has rejected media speculations about the content of its indirect negotiations with Washington on Iran’s civilian nuclear program and the termination of U.S. sanctions.
“We do not confirm the details raised about the issues raised in the Iran-U.S. talks. They are merely media speculations,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said at a weekly press conference in Tehran on Monday.
“The details of the negotiations are not to be discussed in the media, and we do not confirm any of the issues raised,” he added.
Tehran and Washington held two rounds of indirect talks in Muscat, Oman, on April 12, and Rome, Italy, on April 19. The third round is slated to be held in Muscat on April 26.
Baqaei pointed to the United States’ unlawful sanctions against Iran, saying that in any talks, the Islamic Republic’s demand is the termination of the sanctions in a way that would lead to tangible effects.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran must be able to carry out its economic, commercial, and banking activities normally, and there must also be assurances that past negative experiences will not be repeated,” he said.
Regular contact with European signatories to JCPOA
Baqaei said Iran remains in regular contact with the European troika—Britain, France, and Germany—as signatories to the 2015 Iran deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), from which the U.S. unilaterally withdrew in 2018.
He said that consultations are also ongoing with China and Russia, which he described as long-time partners of Iran. “We have kept them informed from the outset,” he said.
According to the spokesperson, U.N. Security Council Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA remain in place, and all signatories bear legal responsibilities under these frameworks.
European threats to invoke snapback mechanism ‘unconstructive’
Responding to a question about the pace of talks and repeated European threats to invoke the so-called snapback mechanism, Baqaei said such moves are not constructive.
He said Iran is serious about removing the sanctions imposed on its people.
IAEA inspections of Iran’s nuclear program continuing
Responding to a question on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s role in Iran-U.S. negotiations, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the IAEA’s monitoring of Iran’s nuclear program is ongoing.
He said the agency acts based on its statute and the treaties governing its relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran as a member state. “So, within that framework and in accordance with pre-established procedures, the agency’s inspections and monitoring will continue,” he said.
Asked about rumors of a meeting in Rome between the deputy foreign minister for political affairs and the IAEA director general, Baqaei dismissed them as completely false.
“The IAEA director general’s presence in Rome was his own decision. We had no conversation or meeting with him there. Our discussions with him took place in Tehran,” he said, adding that there was no new issue that would require further talks.
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