Iran’s Foreign Ministry announces indirect nuclear talks with the US will continue in Muscat next Sunday, while also deeming Washington’s latest proposal unacceptable.
Indirect negotiations between Iran and the United States are slated to resume next Sunday in Muscat, the capital of Oman, as revealed by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday night.
The announcement was made via the ministry’s official Telegram channel, and reported by Reuters.
The upcoming round of talks comes amidst continued disagreement over the terms of a potential agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear program and the lifting of U.S. sanctions. Baghaei earlier indicated that the latest proposal from the United States failed to reflect the outcomes of previous negotiation rounds, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Iran intends to submit its own proposal to the US through Omani intermediaries, he stated.
Speaking at a regular press briefing in Tehran, Baghaei underscored Iran’s firm stance on its “national rights,” emphasizing that any proposal failing to respect its right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and effective sanctions relief would be deemed unacceptable.
“I will not go into the details of these proposals at this stage,” Baghaei stated. “However, the so-called US proposal does not reflect characteristics of active and reciprocal consultation based on commercial logic and the outcomes of earlier talks. It is not the result of previous rounds of negotiations.”
His announcement on the location of the next round of talks with the US came just after President Donald Trump, speaking at an event in the White House, commented on the ongoing talks with Iran.
“We’re trying to make a deal [with Iran] so that there’s no destruction and death,” Trump stated, adding that the Iranians are “tough negotiators.”
Asked what the main impediment is to a deal, he replied, “They’re just asking for things that you can’t do”, namely refusing to give up its ability to enrich uranium.
“They have given us their thoughts on the deal, and I said it’s just not acceptable,” stated Trump.
Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, announced on Sunday that the latest United States proposal for a nuclear deal fails to include the lifting of sanctions, accusing Washington of dishonesty and attempting to impose a “unilateral” agreement.
