Iran 'snapback' stance to be laid out in Istanbul: Gharibabadi
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Iran’s Assistant Foreign Minister says Tehran will lay out its position on the snapback mechanism and the nuclear deal during upcoming talks in Istanbul with the E3.
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In this Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, photo, Iran's assistant foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, waits for the start of the IAEA board of governors meeting at the International Center in Vienna, Austria (AP)
Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Assistant Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, stated that in the upcoming meeting with the E3 in Istanbul, Tehran will "lay out its stance on activating the snapback mechanism and explore potential solutions to unresolved issues, as well as ways to handle the current situation."
In a Tuesday statement, Gharibabadi reiterated Iran's position that "activating the snapback mechanism is a completely illegal measure," stressing that the other parties "have no legal justification for doing so."
He further stated that the European countries "have no right to hold Iran accountable while they themselves do not comply with the nuclear deal," noting that they "have not implemented it for seven years and suspended their commitments after the US withdrew from it."
Iran has agreed to fresh talks in Istanbul with representatives from the three European signatories to the nuclear deal: France, Germany, and the UK.
On Monday evening, Iranian state television confirmed that Tehran agreed to the meeting in response to a European request. The report added that the talks would be held at the level of deputy foreign ministers, with participation from both Gharibabadi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran's Assistant Foreign Minister for Political Affairs.
He noted that these negotiations would focus on Iran's nuclear program, clarifying that they are being held separately from the indirect talks with the United States.
Iran does not plan to resume talks with US
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed on July 21 that Iran has no immediate plans to resume talks with the United States, despite recent comments by US President Donald Trump suggesting Tehran is seeking dialogue over its nuclear program.
"In the current situation, we do not plan to negotiate with the United States so far," Baghaei told reporters at a press conference in Tehran, adding that diplomacy remains a tool for safeguarding Iran's national interests. "As soon as we come to the conclusion that we can use this tool to protect our national interests, we will certainly not hesitate."
Baghaei’s remarks responded to Trump’s July 16 assertion that Iran was open to restarting negotiations and that Washington stood ready to engage, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized on July 18 that talks could only resume if the US pursued a "mutually beneficial and balanced" nuclear agreement without preconditions.
The two countries have engaged in five rounds of indirect talks mediated by Oman to revive the nuclear deal and secure the lifting of US sanctions, though a planned sixth round scheduled for June 15 was ultimately canceled after "Israel" launched a war on Iran despite the US negotiating with Tehran.
