Iran briefs Russia on progress of talks with US on nuclear programme – Iranian Foreign Minister

Photo:Vahid Salemi/AP Photo

For several months of negotiations between Tehran and Washington over its nuclear programme, Iran has been constantly informing Moscow about the progress of the dialogue. This was stated by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi at a press conference in Istanbul during a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), The Telegraph reports.

“We always consult and coordinate our positions with Russia. It has been and remains a party to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the negotiation process. Even in recent months, when we were engaged in dialogue with the US, we regularly informed our Russian partners about any progress or lack thereof,” Aracsi said.

The minister also confirmed his visit to Moscow and his planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.

At the same time, Araqchi said that Iran does not plan to return to negotiations with the West until it responds to the recent US attack.

“We have never trusted Western countries in negotiations, and now we have even more reasons to distrust them. The path of diplomacy must remain open, but we are not in a position to decide how and with whom to resume dialogue. First and foremost, we need to respond to the attack,” the minister stressed.

Araqchi did not specify what actions Iran would take in response. At the same time, he confirmed that channels of communication with the United States continue to operate – with the mediation of Oman, in particular.

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