TEHRAN, Aug 31: Senior Iranian officials during a private meeting confirmed that Washington has so far ignored at least 15 messages from Iran seeking renewed negotiations on its nuclear program.
The move comes as Tehran is bracing for a possible renewal of global tariffs, with the E3 countries triggering the UN s snapback mechanism for the automatic reimposition of all global sanctions on Aug 28 in a letter to the UN, reports Iran International.
Part of the 2015 Iran deal, the mechanism is a 30-day-process under which Iran could face the automatic reimposition of all global trade barriers and restrictions if all nations party to the deal conclude that Iran was in non-compliance .
The process which can only be vetoed by the UNSC, which seems very unlikely now would greatly affect the Iranian nuclear program, missile development, energy trade, technological projects, and conventional arms trade
As such, the move gives Iran a deadline of September 28, before said measures are put back.
Deputy foreign minister for political affairs Majid Takht-Ravanchi told editors of Iranian print and online media in a private meeting Saturday that the White House had disregarded Tehran s messages about resuming negotiations.
Similarly, the country s deputy foreign minister for legal affairs Kazem Gharibabadi had confirmed last week that Iran had sent messages to Washington 15 times through different channels but had received no reply.
Iran had consistently maintained that E3 had neither the power nor the legality for a unilateral reimposition, calling it a full violation of international law.
During previous talks with the US brokered by Oman, Iran refused to accept Washington s calls for limiting its uranium enrichment program, calling it unrealistic and non-negotiable.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff presented proposals after several rounds, but they were all rejected as Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei insisted that enrichment inside Iran was a red line, completing the fourth round of talks.
The Trump administration had set a 60-day deadline to secure a nuclear agreement with Iran, with the fifth and final talks looming over Tehran on day 61 or June 13. The scenario, though, was changed by the Iran-Israel war the same month.
After the short war s end, US altered its stance from limited to zero enrichment on its soil, which Iran has staunchly rejected. Currently, Iran s enriched uranium, located in its now damaged nuclear facilities of Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan now stands at 60%.
The IAEA had declared that Iran s enrichment levels were far above what was needed for civilian purposes, with nuclear weapons requiring 90%, thus signalling that Tehran was actively pursuing nuclear weapons.
President Trump told reporters in mid-July that the urgency to engage with Iran had vanished after the US strikes.
They would like to talk. I m in no rush to talk because we obliterated their site, Trump told reporters, implying he was content to let pressure build.
Iranian officials and nationals advocating for resumed negotiations were slammed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who deemed the situation unsolvable due to the US animosity and its ties with Israel.
Those who say, Why don t you negotiate directly with the United States and solve the issues, are superficial; because the reality is different,” Khamenei said during a meeting with his supporters in Tehran.
“Given America s true objective in its hostility toward Iran, these issues are unsolvable.” (UNI)
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