Iran lead negotiator confirms ongoing talks with KSA, EU

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There are ongoing communications between Iran and the European Union about the Vienna talks, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and chief negotiator in Vienna, Ali Bagheri Kani, told Al Mayadeen on Wednesday in reference to the Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The original JCPOA was signed in 2015 by China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the European Union.

Saudi Arabia and Iran have both expressed mutual willingness to go back to dialogue, the diplomat told Al Mayadeen. "Both sides are currently mulling the necessary arrangements for this issue."

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's assistant, Muhammad Hosseini, met with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan on the sidelines of their participation in the inauguration of Lula da Silva as President of Brazil in early January.

The presidential aide was quoted as stressing the necessity of continuing the talks between Saudi Arabia and Iran that had kicked off through Iraq.

Meanwhile, the Saudi top diplomat said his country was determined to discuss the existing situations and concerns one after the other to reach a fruitful result, one that would positively affect the ties between Tehran and Riyadh.

It is noteworthy that diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia grew strained following the execution of Sheikh Nimr Baqir Al-Nimr in January 2016. Sheikh Al-Nimr was a vocal critic of the Saudi government. The Sheikh raised his voice against corruption and political injustice inflicted on marginalized groups that constitute minorities in different regions of the Kingdom, notably Al-Qatif. 

The Saudi authorities arrested him in 2011 for participating in protests in the Eastern Province calling for political reform. They executed Al-Nimr along with 46 other people, under the pretext of "fighting terror" just to oppress dissidents and opponents. The two ended holding talks in 2022, though the bilateral negotiations are now on hold.

The 6-month negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore diplomatic ties have been suspended by the latter, due to the change of government in the mediator-country Iraq.

With the end of Mustafa Kadhimi’s premiership in Iraq, Saudi Arabia has informed Tehran through special channels that the dialogue stopped, as he was the chief mediator of Saudi-Iranian reconciliation talks, and other Iraqi authorities were rarely or not involved at all, the source was cited as saying. 

Moreover, after meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Bagheri Kani said that "the enemies of this region, which are lurking in it, have been practicing an unjust seige against it, whether toward the Islamic Republic of Iran or brotherly Lebanon."

"This blockade wants to undermine the strength of the resistance and weaken the spirit of the Lebanese people and the state of Lebanon," Bagheri Kani said. "We are certain that Lebanon and the resistance will always remain in a position of strength in the face of these attempts."

The top diplomat underlined that Lebanon's future must be "written through the free will of the Lebanese people," noting that Tehran "will forever and always remain by Lebanon's side, supporting the peace, stability, and development in this country."

Iran "supports the brave Lebanese resistance in the face of the enemies of this state," he concluded.

This comes after Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah underlined that "A few months ago, we were told to secure fuel from Iran for six months to raise the rationing hours to eight per day and put Lebanon on the track of reaching a solution." "We took initiative and contacted Iran. They accepted the Lebanese request for fuel, and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian confirmed that in Beirut."

"The Iranian offer is still on the table," he underlined. "The Americans are the ones preventing the offer from being carried out."

Additionally, the Resistance leader said Lebanon had the opportunity to accept the Iranian fuel, calling on any US-affiliated party or any party close to the US in Lebanon to use their relationship with Washington to get an exception and get Iranian fuel into Lebanon.