US energy cooperation ‘possible’ amid nuclear talks: Oil minister
Iran’s Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said on Friday that cooperation between Iran and the United States in the oil and gas sector is possible as nuclear negotiations continue.
“Everything is possible,” Paknejad said when asked about the likelihood of collaboration between Tehran and Washington in the energy field.
According to a report by Tasnim news agency, the minister noted that it remains uncertain whether such cooperation would be implemented immediately. “It is not clear whether Tehran-Washington oil and gas cooperation will become operational now or not,” he said.
Hamid Qanbari, deputy for economic diplomacy at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, previously outlined the scope of discussions during a meeting at the Iran Chamber of Commerce.
“Common interests in oil and gas fields, shared fields, mining investments, and even buying airplanes are included in the text of negotiations with the United States,” Qanbari said on Sunday.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday that Tehran and Washington agreed on “a set of guiding principles” to move forward in nuclear negotiations after the two sides concluded a second round of talks in Geneva.
The United States, which has deployed aircraft carriers and warships to the region, has threatened Iran with military action if no agreement is reached. Iran has declared its conditions and vowed not to bow to what it calls excessive demands, including the US push for zero uranium enrichment. Tehran has also said it will respond forcefully to any aggression.