Tehran Rules Out Direct Negotiations with Washington

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi meets his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last month. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi meets his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last month. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
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Tehran Rules Out Direct Negotiations with Washington

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi meets his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last month. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi meets his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York last month. (Iranian Foreign Ministry)

Iran has ruled out direct negotiations with the United States, but has reiterated its satisfaction with the Omani initiative which aims to break the diplomatic impasse surrounding the revival of the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Speaking at a weekly press conference on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani considered Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq’s recent proposal as an initiative to bridge some of the gap between the parties.

“The initiatives and plans proposed by some friendly countries, including the Sultan of Oman are neither a new agreement nor a new plan, but a practical initiative to bring the points of view of the JCPOA parties closer to each other and return all parties to this nuclear deal reached in 2015,” said Kanaani.

“The diplomatic channel and the exchange of messages remain open, and this process is ongoing,” affirmed Kanaani.

However, the spokesperson went on to say: “We will not engage in direct negotiations with the US, and there is no plan for direct negotiations.”

Last year, nuclear negotiations stumbled in the final stages as Tehran held firm on its conditions, including the closure of an international investigation into nuclear activities at two secret sites where traces of uranium of human origin were found by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Western diplomats say that Iran rejected at least two drafts to reach an agreement during the past year.

The IAEA estimates that Iran has enough enriched uranium at 60% to develop three nuclear bombs. Additionally, it possesses larger quantities of 20% enriched uranium.

In parallel with the revival talks of the nuclear agreement in April 2021, Tehran began enriching uranium to 60%.



Iran Says it Has Sent Satellite Into Space

In January, Iran said it successfully launched three satellites into space with a rocket. EPA
In January, Iran said it successfully launched three satellites into space with a rocket. EPA
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Iran Says it Has Sent Satellite Into Space

In January, Iran said it successfully launched three satellites into space with a rocket. EPA
In January, Iran said it successfully launched three satellites into space with a rocket. EPA

Iran Saturday sent a research satellite into orbit with a rocket built by the Revolutionary Guard, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.
The report said the Chamran-1 satellite has a weight of 60 kilograms and successfully reached in 550-kilometer orbit in space. It said testing space hardware and software is the main mission of the satellite.
IRNA said land stations received signals from the satellite, too.
It said the satellite-carrier rocket Qaem-100, using solid fuel, was designed and made by the Guard aerospace division. Iran says it has 13 more satellite launches in a row.
Though Iran has long planned to send satellites into orbit, this is the first launch under reformist President Masoud Pezezhkian after his hardline predecessor Ebrahim Raisi died in a May helicopter crash.
In January, Iran said it successfully launched three satellites into space with a rocket.