Deputy FM: Iran should be offered guarantees before any US talks
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said before entering a new round of negotiations with the United States, Iran should be offered guarantees that will not again be attacked.
In an interview with Turkey’s Habertürk TV, the Iranian official also said that messages between Iran and the US are being relayed through mediators after talks between the two sides over Iran’s nuclear program were cancelled following last month’s aggressions by Israel and the US against Iran, which triggered a 12-day conflict.
Tehran and Washington had held five rounds of nuclear talks since April to resolve a decades-old dispute on Iran’s nuclear program, but a planned meeting on June 15 was cancelled after the aggression.
Takht-Ravanchi made the remarks on Friday – the same day Iran and three European powers – France, Germany and Britain – held talks on Iran’s nuclear program in Istanbul.
"As you know, another round of negotiations with the European Troika at the deputy ministerial level has taken place. This is a process that has been going on for some time. We are currently discussing various aspects of the nuclear dossier. During Friday's meeting, we discussed the technical dimensions of the nuclear issue and the extent of sanctions relief," Takht-Ravanchi said.
"Regarding the nuclear negotiations, we have stressed that enrichment must form an inseparable part of any agreement. This is a key element of our negotiations. Other matters concerning the nuclear issue have also been raised," he added.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Friday that Tehran and the European powers agreed to continue consultations on Iran’s nuclear program during “frank and detailed” nuclear talks in Istanbul.
In a post on X, Gharibabadi said he criticized the European stance on Israel’s 12-day aggression against Iran last month and discussed the so-called snapback mechanism to reimpose international sanctions against Iran during talks with officials from Germany, France and Britain.
The three European countries, known as E3, have threatened in recent weeks to trigger the UN “snapback” mechanism if no deal is reached between Iran and the United States.