TEHRAN – Iran on Wednesday brushed aside American allegations, saying it has not brought up any excessive demands beyond the scope of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in negotiations to revive the deal.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Qatari counterpart Muhammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani here, Iranian Foreign Minster Hussein Amir-Abdollahian stressed that all of Tehran’s demands are within the JCPOA framework.
He said the most recent round of talks held in Doha revolved around the guarantees that the U.S. should give to Iran about not abandoning its obligations again and letting the Islamic Republic benefit from remaining in the deal.
Sheikh Muhammad visited Tehran a week after talks in Doha ended, with the two sides saying they agreed to keep in touch.
“We are determined to seek a good, strong and lasting accord, and despite American claims ... we have not raised any demands outside of the nuclear deal,” Amir-Abdollahian told a joint news conference with his Qatari counterpart.
Earlier Wednesday, the foreign minister reiterated Tehran’s readiness for talks on a strong and sustainable agreement.
In a post on his Twitter, Amir-Abdollahian said he held a telephone conversation with the European Union Foreign Policy Chief Joseph Borrell on Tuesday night.
“Agreement is possible only based on mutual understanding & interests. We remain ready to negotiate a strong & durable agreement,” the top Iranian diplomat said.
“U.S. must decide if it wants a deal or insists on sticking to its unilateral demands. Mutually exclusive,” Amir-Abdollahian stated.
Since last week, Iran has questioned U.S. resolve to save the pact while Washington has claimed Tehran added new demands at the Doha talks.
Amir-Abdollahian, however, said on Tuesday that Washington “must decide if it wants a deal or insists on sticking to its unilateral demands”.
“The American side should guarantee that Iran will fully benefit from a 2015 revived deal. So far, the American side has not been able to give such assurances,” he added.
For his part, the Qatari foreign minister said it is necessary for all parties and neighboring states to make constructive efforts for the success of the Iran talks.
Voicing Qatar’s support for dialogue and the achievement of a deal that would allay the concerns of all sides, Sheikh Muhammad stressed the need to pave the way for all parties to the JCPOA to resume honoring their commitments.
He added that negotiations between Iran and the Persian Gulf countries would yield positive results, as prosperous relations among the regional government will serve the interests of the nations.