Iran rejects reports of interim nuclear deal with U.S.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman dismissed media speculations about an interim agreement between Tehran and Washington over its nuclear program.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Nasser Kanaani said such speculations about an interim agreement and a similar deal to replace the 2015 nuclear agreement, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), cannot be confirmed, adding that the JCPOA is the basis of negotiations on the lifting of sanctions.
However, he confirmed the exchange of messages between Iran and the U.S. through the mediation of Oman.
On Friday, the U.S.-based news website Axios reported that American and Iranian officials had held indirect talks in Oman last month, with Omani officials shuttling between their separate rooms to deliver messages.
The report came one day after the Middle East Eye news portal claimed that Iran and the United States “are nearing a temporary deal that would swap some sanctions relief for reducing Iranian uranium enrichment activities.”
“Iran’s government has never left the negotiation table and has shown its readiness to conduct serious and substantive negotiations in order to reach a conclusion,” Kanaani added.
The remarks came a day after Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said there is nothing wrong with reaching a deal if Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remains untouched.
Multilateral diplomatic efforts to revive the JCPOA have been stalled since last August, with Iran blaming the United States for failing to guarantee that it will not leave the deal again.
Prisoner swap
Kanaani also said that Iran and the U.S. could exchange prisoners soon if Washington shows goodwill.
“Regarding the issue of exchanging prisoners with the U.S., negotiations are ongoing through mediators… If the other party shows the same seriousness and goodwill, this can happen in the near future,” Kanaani said.
Tensions with Azerbaijan
Kanaani also referred to recent tensions between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, saying that both countries are pushing to de-escalate tensions and pave the way for the reopening of Azerbaijan’s Embassy in Tehran.
He said the foreign ministers of Iran and Azerbaijan have held four rounds of talks in recent weeks to mend relations severed after a January fatal attack on the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Tehran, which killed a staff member and injured two others. Baku shut down its embassy in Tehran afterwards.