DUBAI: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi announced on Monday that the country is prepared to engage in nuclear negotiations during the UN General Assembly in New York, provided “other parties are willing.” This statement comes as indirect talks between the US and Iran to revive the 2015 nuclear deal have stalled.
The 2015 nuclear agreement, reached between Iran and six world powers, allowed Tehran to curtail its nuclear program in exchange for lifting international sanctions. However, the situation changed dramatically in 2018 when the US, under then-President Donald Trump, withdrew from the accord and reinstated sanctions against Iran. Despite still being a formal party to the deal, Iran has scaled back its commitments in response to the renewed sanctions.
Araqchi stated that he would remain in New York longer than Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to engage with various foreign ministers and push for a new round of talks concerning the nuclear pact. He noted that while messages have been exchanged through intermediaries, the “current international conditions” make the resumption of talks more complex than in the past.
Despite expressing a willingness to negotiate, Araqchi made it clear that he would not meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, stating that “there is currently no suitable ground for that.” Instead, Iran has preferred to negotiate indirectly through European or Arab intermediaries since the US sanctions were reinstated.
Iran’s leadership has emphasized the need for an easing of US sanctions that have adversely affected its economy. However, relations between Iran and the West have deteriorated, particularly following recent escalations involving the Iranian-backed Palestinian Hamas group’s attack on Israel and Iran’s increasing support for Russia amid the Ukraine conflict.
The Biden administration has maintained that the US is not prepared to resume nuclear talks with Iran, further complicating the diplomatic landscape as the two sides navigate their strained relations.
