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Iran will consider direct nuclear talks with US

“The U.S. side is sending messages in different ways that it seeks a level of direct talks with Iran,” Iran’s top diplomat said.

By Zevi Pilzer, World Israel News

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Monday that Tehran will consider direct talks with the U.S. during the ongoing nuclear negotiations in Vienna, if that would help reach a “good agreement.”

“Iran is not currently talking with the U.S. directly, but if during the negotiation process we get to a point that reaching a good agreement with solid guarantees requires a level of talks with the U.S., we will not ignore that in our work schedule,” he said.

The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of action, or nuclear deal, reached during the Obama administration between Iran and the P5 (China, Russia, Great Britain, France and U.S.) plus Germany, included a relief in sanctions towards Iran.

However, three years later, when former president Donald Trump was in office, he unilaterally withdrew from the deal, calling it a “bad” one that endangered Israel.

Trump’s withdrawal brought back U.S. sanctions on Tehran, which has since been seeking a new agreement that would lift the sanctions and allow the Islamic regime to continue its enrichment of uranium.

With President Joe Biden in power, talks aimed at salvaging the deal resumed last year in Vienna but to no avail.

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Previously, Iran stated that the U.S. must “change course” and return to the nuclear deal prior to any direct talks between the two countries.

“Our direct talks are with P4+1,” Amir-Abdollahian said, referring to Germany and permanent Security Council powers France, China, Great Britain and Russia.

“Meanwhile, the U.S. side is sending messages in different ways that it seeks a level of direct talks with Iran,” he added during a conference at the foreign ministry in Tehran.

The negotiations started in April and were put on a hold in June after Iran elected its new president, Ebrahim Raisi. They resumed in late November.