Iranian technicians work at the Isfahan nuclear facility, 420km south of the capital Tehran. (Photo: AFP/VNA)
On June 12, Iran announced that it had continued indirect negotiations with the United States through the intermediary of Oman on the 2015 nuclear deal and a prisoner exchange between the two countries.
Speaking at a press conference, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said Tehran welcomed the efforts of Omani officials and said that a message had been conveyed to the US regarding the lifting of sanctions through this mediation. The spokesman affirmed that Iran always ensures to maintain "transparent" dialogue.
[Iran leaves open the possibility of reaching a nuclear deal with the US]
Besides the issue of resuming the nuclear deal, spokesman Kanani said Tehran and Washington could soon agree on a prisoner exchange.
The statement was made in the context of indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington to salvage the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal with the P5+1 group (including the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany) that have yet to make any breakthrough.
Last month, the IAEA said nuclear issues with Iran were at a standstill, including the reinstallation of some monitoring equipment that was originally deployed under the JCPOA.
On June 11, Iran's supreme leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reaffirmed Iran's official stance, saying the country has never intended to build a nuclear bomb.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei also stated the condition for resuming the nuclear deal with Western countries, which requires keeping the country's nuclear production facilities intact.
Previously, on June 9, both sides denied information that they were about to reach a temporary agreement.
Iran and world powers signed the JCPOA deal in July 2015, under which Tehran accepted some restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
However, the US withdrew from the deal in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions, while Iran responded by reducing some of its commitments under the deal.
Negotiations to restore the JCPOA began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria./.
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