US-Iran nuclear talks on ‘right pathway’: American VP
US Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that talks on Iran’s nuclear program are heading in the right direction as the fourth round of talks, initially scheduled for May 3, is reportedly set to be held on Sunday.
“We’re on the right pathway,” Vance told the Munich Leaders Meeting in Washington, describing the talks as “so far, so good.”
“We don’t care if people want nuclear power. We’re fine with that, but you can’t have the kind of enrichment program that allows you to get to a nuclear weapon, and that’s where we draw the line,” he said.
Iranian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei on Monday denounced some contradictory remarks by the US officials on a possible nuclear deal with Iran, saying that they are not helpful.
Baqaei made the remarks after Trump and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for total dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program while stressing on the path of diplomacy to resolve a decades-long dispute over the issue.
“Such conflicting messages does not affect to our determination to stand by our fundamental positions,” Baqaei said.
“If there is sincerity in the claim that the American side’s demand is for the Islamic Republic of Iran not to possess a nuclear bomb, then I believe many issues can be worked out, as we have already declared – and demonstrated in practice – that we are not in any way seeking to weaponize our nuclear program,” the Iranian official said.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also reacted to Trump’s remarks.
“If their ultimate goal is, as President Trump has repeatedly said, the only thing they can’t have is nuclear weapons, an agreement is achievable, but there is only one way to achieve it: diplomacy, based on mutual respect and mutual interests”, Araghchi said on X.
Donald Trump said on Sunday that his goal in discussions with Iran is “total dismantlement” of that nation’s nuclear program.
He also said that he is willing to listen to arguments for allowing Iran to pursue civilian nuclear energy while ending what he called its nuclear weapons program.
Rubio has also called on Iran to “walk away” from uranium enrichment. In a Thursday interview with Fox News Rubio claimed that “the only countries in the world that enrich uranium are the ones that have nuclear weapons.”
Araghchi took to social media on Saturday to declare, “Iran has every right to possess the full nuclear fuel cycle,” referencing the country’s membership in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Since April 12, the two countries have held three rounds of talks in Oman and Italy, that have been described by the two side as “positive and constructive”.
The latest round of the negotiations was postponed, with mediator Oman citing “logistical reasons” for the delay.
However, Iranian media outlet Nour News said on Tuesday that fourth round of talks is set to be held in Oman on Sunday.