Iran’s FM Describes Doha Talks on Removal of Sanctions as ‘Positive’

“Our assessment of the recent round of talks in Doha is positive,” he said in a telephone call on Thursday with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.

He thanked Qatar for hosting this round of the negotiations and said, “We are serious about reaching a good, strong and sustainable agreement.”

Amirabdollahian added that achieving a deal would be possible with the US’ realism.

“Our top negotiator (Ali Baqeri) always takes the initiative to move toward the realization of an acceptable agreement and we are determined to continue negotiating until an agreement is reached based on realism,” he stated.

Qatar’s top diplomat, for his part, described this stage in the negotiations as important and said his country will spare no efforts, including by continuing to host the talks, until the desired results are achieved and all parties return to their commitments.

Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said the country’s operational views and proposals on the remaining issues were put forward in the talks in Doha.

The two-day negotiations in the Qatari capital ended on Wednesday, with EU coordinator Enrique Mora shuttling between Iran’s top negotiator Ali Baqeri and US special Iran envoy Rob Malley.

“Continuing with the negotiation process to remove sanctions, intensive talks were held in Doha on Tuesday and Wednesday with the mediation of Enrique Mora,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani twitted on Wednesday night.

“Iran’s operational views and proposals were put forward on the remaining issues, and the other side presented its reservations,” he said.

“As in the past, Baqeri and Mora will be in touch regarding the continuation of the route and the next stage of the talks,” Kanaani added.

“We will keep working with even greater urgency to bring back on track a key deal for non-proliferation and regional stability,” Mora tweeted.

The talks are aimed at overcoming differences over how to revive a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and remove sanctions on the country. The negotiating sides are trying to break a months-long impasse that has stalled negotiations in Vienna.

“What prevented these negotiations from coming to fruition is the US insistence on its proposed draft text in Vienna that excludes any guarantee for Iran’s economic benefits,” informed sources at the talks told Tasnim on Wednesday.

Former US president Donald Trump ditched the nuclear pact in 2018 and reimposed draconian sanctions on Iran’s economy. A year later, Tehran reacted by gradually reducing its compliance.

Iran’s nuclear chief on Tuesday confirmed that Tehran had begun installing a new cascade of advanced centrifuges at its underground Fordo facility.

The International Atomic Energy Agency earlier reported that Iran was planning to enrich uranium through a new chain of 166 advanced IR-6 centrifuges at the site.

“We will follow measures according to the plans made,” declared Mohammad Eslami.

Earlier this month, Iran removed some surveillance cameras of the IAEA operating outside the nuclear deal which Iran had allowed in a goodwill gesture. The decision to disconnect them came after the agency’s board of governors adopted a US-sponsored resolution against the Islamic Republic.

The resolution was issued after IAEA chief Rafael Grossi paid a controversial visit to Israel which is widely known for its subversive attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities and terrorist assassination of the country’s scientists.

Over 11 months of talks between Tehran and major powers stalled in March, chiefly over Washington’s refusal to undo all its past wrongs.