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Iran opts for indirect talks with US since prior agreements not honored — ambassador

Kazem Jalali underscored that Iran was not afraid of holding a dialogue with the United States

MOSCOW, April 11. /TASS/. Knowing Washington's penchant for breaking agreements, Iran chose to engage in indirect talks with the United States, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said on Friday.

The diplomat underscored that Iran was not afraid of holding a dialogue with the United States.

"However, our supreme leader has a point and he explained why we are against direct negotiations," Jalali stated. "Our past experience is the reason."

"Let us say that with regard to the negotiations on the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear deal], we were engaged in direct negotiations," the Iranian ambassador continued. "But what has happened following these direct talks?"

"They have reneged on everything they previously agreed upon. We are not holding direct negotiations as of yet," Jalali noted.

The Iranian ambassador pointed out that both sides need to find common ground to reach an agreement.

The first round of consultations between the delegations of Iran and the US will be held in Oman on April 12. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff will be the main negotiators.

According to Iran, the parties won’t engage in direct talks as negotiations will be mediated by Oman. US Department of State Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, in turn, said that the upcoming event could be described as a meeting and not talks.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, was signed by Iran, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Russia, the United Kingdom, China, the United States, and France) and Germany in 2015 to resolve the crisis surrounding the country’s nuclear program.

The United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under President Donald Trump and re-imposed all sanctions on Iran that had been lifted under the deal. Russia, China, the US, the UK, Germany, and France resumed talks with Iran in April 2021, aiming to restore the JCPOA, but the negotiations ended without reaching a resolution in 2022.