Iran says it maintains negotiations and diplomatic contacts with the US
Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, stated this Sunday (31) that negotiations and exchanges of messages with the United States are ongoing.
The statement was given to Iranian state media amid continued diplomatic contacts between the two countries to try to advance an agreement related to recent tensions and Iran's nuclear program.
According to Araqchi, it is not yet possible to make a definitive assessment of the direction of the negotiations.
"We must not give importance to speculation and we cannot judge the negotiations until we reach a clear result", declared the chancellor.
The statements were made days after the President of the United States, Donald Trump, returned with changes an agreement proposal presented to Iran. According to information released by CNN, the decision was taken after a meeting with advisors held on Friday (29), which prolonged the negotiations for at least another week.
The exact changes requested by Trump were not detailed. American officials, however, said the president advocated tougher language regarding Iran's nuclear commitments and the promise to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also reportedly expressed concern about the scope of any financial relief offered to Iran as part of the deal.
The new round of changes comes just over a week after the American president stated that the understanding between the parties was "practically finalized" and indicated that the end of the conflict was close. Since then, members of the United States government have signaled progress in negotiations aimed at maintaining the ceasefire, reopening Hormuz and deepening discussions on the Iranian nuclear program.
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Despite the expectations created before Friday's meeting, when Trump stated that he would make a "final decision" and even released some terms of the agreement on social media, the meeting ended without a conclusive definition.
Among the points of divergence, Trump stated that the United States would confiscate and destroy Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium. Tehran, in turn, has reiterated that it is not discussing details of its nuclear program in ongoing negotiations.
The American president also declared that there was no discussion about transferring financial resources as part of the eventual agreement. The topic, however, is treated by Iran as an essential element for the implementation of any pact between the two countries.
Differences in position between Washington and Tehran keep the conclusion of the negotiations indefinite, while discussions on the final wording of the agreement continue. The request for changes presented by Trump had already been previously reported by the website Axios and the newspaper The New York Times.
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Also this Sunday (31), the president of the Iranian Parliament and the country's main negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, emphasized that no agreement with the United States will be approved without guarantees to Iranian interests. The statement was released by the semi-official Tasnim agency.
"Soldiers on the diplomatic battlefield do not trust the enemy's words and promises," Qalibaf said. "What matters to us are the tangible achievements we must obtain, in return for which we will fulfill our commitments," he added.
According to CNN, American officials reported on Thursday that Washington and Tehran had reached a provisional understanding to transform the current ceasefire into a more lasting solution. However, the demands presented by Trump on Friday, involving the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian nuclear program and the unfreezing of Iranian assets held abroad, provoked criticism from Iran and cast doubt on the progress of negotiations towards a definitive agreement.
With information from Elwely Elwelly, from Reuters; edited by David Goodman
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