Iran willing to resume nuclear talks with United States: Acting foreign minister

Iran remains open to resuming negotiations with the United States to restore the nuclear agreement from which Washington under then President Donald Trump backed out in 2018, Iran’s acting foreign minister Ali Bagheri-Kani told Newsweek in an interview published on Tuesday (Jul 16).

Bagheri-Kani’s comments come ahead of his address to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in New York.

The United States, under Trump, withdrew from the nuclear accord between Iran and six world powers in 2018, which had restricted Tehran’s nuclear program.

Despite indirect talks during the incumbent President Joe Biden’s administration to revive the deal, negotiations have stalled. Iran remains part of the agreement but has reduced its commitments in response to US sanctions.

Newsweek quoted Bagheri-Kani as saying, “On the foreign policy front, Tehran remains open to resuming negotiations with Washington toward restoring mutual participation in a nuclear deal.”

However, Bagheri-Kani also added that Iran will continue its focus on strengthening ties with China, Russia, and neighbouring countries. He further stated that Iran would call for greater action against Israel in the wake of the war in Gaza.

The Biden administration announced last week that the United States was not ready to resume nuclear talks with Iran under its new president.

Following the election of reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier in July, there was speculation that Tehran might pursue more serious talks with Washington. However, Pezeshkian has so far signalled the continuation of Iran’s regional policies of projecting power.

Bagheri-Kani assumed the role of acting foreign minister after the death of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in May. His trip to New York for the UNSC meeting is seen by some as a possible attempt to advance the issue of renewed talks, despite Iran not currently being a member of the council.

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Pezeshkian, elected in a snap election, initially campaigned on promoting a pragmatic foreign policy and easing tensions with the powers involved in the 2015 nuclear pact.

But after his election, he reaffirmed Tehran’s support for militant proxy forces in the region and continued the insistence on the anti-western agenda of Raisi’s days.

When asked about Iran’s nuclear capabilities and whether the country might pursue weapons development, Bagheri-Kani reiterated Iran’s commitment to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

“Iran will make use of all its potentials and capacities within the framework of the NPT and the Safeguards Agreement to expand its peaceful nuclear activities according to its national plans and programs,” he added.