Iran insists on sanctions removal

TABNAK, Apr. 21 - Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani says Tehran welcomes any initiative that will lead to the lifting of sanctions and guarantee the nation's rights during the talks with the United States.

News ID: 6310

Date: 21 April 2025 - 10:39

Mohajerani said the trend of talks between Iran and the US has been positive so far.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Steve Witkoff, the US president’s special envoy for West Asia affairs, led two rounds of indirect talks about Iran’s nuclear issue in the Omani capital of Muscat and the Italian capital, Rome, on April 12 and 19, respectively.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always acted based on national interests and maintenance of the Iranian people’s dignity, and it also follows the principles of wisdom and expediency,” Mohajerani said to IRNA on Sunday.

She noted that the Foreign Ministry is pursuing the talks within the framework of its duties and missions, emphasizing that the administration would not divert its focus from the main path of running the country.

She added that the indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, mediated by Oman, are being held in a constructive atmosphere.

“The goal of these talks is to examine practical steps to reduce tensions and prepare the ground for technical talks in the future,” the government spokeswoman emphasized.

Speaking at the end of the second round of talks on Saturday, the Iranian foreign minister said Tehran and Washington had reached a “better understanding” on certain principles and goals.

Iran and the US agreed to open expert-level technical discussions in Oman on April 23. A third round of high-level indirect negotiations between Araghchi and Witkoff would kick off in Oman on April 26.

The Iranian foreign minister later said in a post on his X account that the latest round of indirect talks with the United States in Rome yielded progress on principles of a potential agreement, warning, though, that any sense of optimism has to be accompanied by great caution.

“We made clear how many in Iran believe that the JCPOA is no longer good enough for us. To them, what is left from that deal are ‘lessons learned.’ Personally, I tend to agree,” Araghchi said, referring to the 2015 nuclear deal – formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

During his first term in office, US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States in 2018 from a previous agreement on Iran’s nuclear program and launched a maximum pressure campaign against the country.

Trump restored that policy after returning to the White House for a second term in January, but he has since signaled a willingness to make a new deal to replace the JCPOA.

On March 12, Trump sent a letter to Iran’s leadership, asking for negotiations to reach a new deal.

Iran has ruled out direct negotiations with the US under pressure and threats, but said indirect talks remain an option.