Iran yet to receive message from US on nuclear talks: President, FM
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran had not received any message from the United States regarding the resumption of negotiations on the country’s peaceful nuclear program.
On the sidelines of the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, in response to reporters’ inquiries about any message from US President Donald Trump, Pezeshkian stated, “No, we have not received any message at the moment.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also addressed a press gaggle following the cabinet meeting, saying, “No specific message has been sent or received from the US government. What is being discussed is merely in the media. Right now, there is no conclusion regarding negotiations, and our benchmark is the past mistrust. Naturally, this mistrust cannot be easily overcome with nice words; it has to be demonstrated through actions.”
Araghchi said talks with the European parties are ongoing, adding that Tehran is waiting to know the stances of the other side. If Iran concludes that negotiations may be conducted with the US, such talks will be held on equal standing, he stated, adding that Tehran has not arrived at such a conclusion yet.
“While we had made an agreement in the past, they (the US) scrapped the deal,” the foreign minister said, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) from which the US withdrew in 2018.
About two weeks ago, Pezeshkian remarked, “Trump must first prove that he will follow through on his words. We will engage in dialogue whenever he honors his commitments.”
Previously, in an exclusive interview with NBC, he mentioned that Tehran is “principally” ready to negotiate with the United States.
Recently, Iran’s Vice President for Strategic Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif noted during a panel discussion at the Davos meeting, “I hope that this time, in his second term, Trump will be more serious, focused, and realistic so he understands the consequences of his departure from the JCPOA, which was imposed upon us.”
He added that following the US withdrawal from the JCPOA, Iran now possesses “significantly greater nuclear capacity,” but he reassured that Iran poses no nuclear or security threat.