- Indirect talks between the United States and Iran to revive the nuclear deal have stalled.
- Iran's leaders want to see an easing of US sanctions that are crippling its economy.
- Foreign Minister Araqchi says he will not hold talks with Secretary of State Blinken.
DUBAI: Iran is ready to start nuclear negotiations on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York if “other parties are willing,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a video posted on his Telegram channel on Monday.
The United States, under then-President Donald Trump, withdrew in 2018 from a 2015 nuclear deal signed by Iran and six world powers under which Tehran curbed its disputed nuclear program in exchange for a lifting of international sanctions.
Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran to revive the deal have stalled. Iran remains formally a party to the agreement but has scaled back its commitments to comply with it due to US sanctions reimposed on the Islamic Republic.
“I'll be staying in New York a few more days than I have left.” [Iranian] “We will have further meetings with the president and several foreign ministers. We will focus our efforts on starting a new round of talks on the nuclear deal,” Araqchi said.
He added that messages had been exchanged via Switzerland and a “general statement of readiness” had been issued, but warned that “current international conditions make the resumption of talks more complicated and difficult than before.”
Araqchi said he would not meet with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken: “I don't think it would be appropriate to have such a dialogue. There have been such meetings before, but there is no suitable ground for that now. We are still very far from holding direct talks.”
Since the renewal of US sanctions during the Trump administration, Tehran has refused to negotiate directly with Washington and has worked mainly through European or Arab intermediaries.
Iranian leaders want the easing of US sanctions that have significantly damaged their economy, but Iran's relations with the West have worsened since the Iranian-backed Palestinian group Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7 and Tehran has stepped up its support for Russia's war in Ukraine.
The administration of US President Joe Biden has said the United States is not ready to resume nuclear talks with Iran.
