Iran announced on Monday that talks with the United States about its nuclear agreement and potential prisoner swaps had resumed indirectly through the Sultanate of Oman.
Iran Indirect Talks With US: Western nations have long been closely monitoring Iran’s nuclear program, leading to sanctions that have severely harmed the nation’s economy.
The United States unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 agreement in 2018, dooming Tehran’s much-needed reprieve from sanctions in exchange for limitations on its nuclear program.
The two capitals have recently refuted media suggestions that they were nearing an interim agreement to replace the 2015 pact.
On Monday, Nasser Kanani, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, said: “We welcome the efforts of Omani officials, and we exchanged messages with the other party through this mediator” over the easing of US sanctions.
During his weekly press conference, he added, “We have never stopped the diplomatic processes,” adding that the discussions “were not secret.”
Following the Islamic revolution of 1979, led by Iran’s first supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, diplomatic relations between Tehran and Washington deteriorated in 1980.
Efforts have not yet revived the 2015 nuclear accord.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, reaffirmed his denial of efforts to develop a nuclear weapon on Sunday.
He stated they might strike agreements as long as there is no alteration to “the existing infrastructure of the nuclear industry.”
Oman has mediated talks between Iran and the United States, bitter enemies, regarding a potential prisoner swap.
Possibility of Prisoner Exchange in Near Future, says Kanani, if US Shows Same Level of Seriousness.
Kanani suggested that if Washington exhibits “the same level of seriousness” as Tehran, they might achieve a prisoner exchange “shortly.”
Iranian authorities hold at least three Iranian Americans, including businessman Siamak Namazi, who was detained in October 2015 and sentenced to a 10-year prison term for espionage.
Iran has recently freed six European individuals and repatriated Assadollah Assadi, a diplomat who Belgium had detained after finding him guilty of terrorism.
Kanani refuted claims that Iran had given Russia supplies to “build a drone factory.”
John Kirby, the spokesperson for national security at the White House, said on Friday that Russia was receiving supplies from Iran to construct a drone factory on its soil.
However, Kanani stated, “We refute any allegations relating to the shipment of armaments to Russia for use in the fight against Ukraine.