Khatibzadeh: No deadlock in Vienna talks

• 

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh confirmed that the Vienna Talks are continuing as before and that "there is no deadlock in the Vienna Talks."

During his weekly press conference, Khatibzadeh stressed that Iran has made its political decisions for years and has decided to remain in the nuclear agreement, adding that Tehran is waiting to receive the Western parties' decision over its initiatives.

"The stronger the will of the United States and the three European countries, the shorter the distance to reach an agreement," he pointed out.

All sanctions must be lifted at once

Khatibzadeh explained that despite reaching some progress, there are still some pending files concerned with verifying lifting the US sanctions and the proposed guarantees of the nuclear deal.

He also noted that an agreement cannot be reached if an understanding of all the issues on the table is established, affirming that the Iranian government is seriously seeking to thwart sanctions by strengthening its independent and strong foreign relations with countries inside and outside the region.

The Iranian diplomat underlined that all sanctions that violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and UN Resolution 2231 must be completely lifted, highlighting that the US must guarantee that it will not violate international laws again.

Regarding the US demands in the negotiations, Khatibzadeh described Washington as "not trustworthy".

It is noteworthy that an informed source told Iranian news agency IRNA that the Islamic Republic presented a new set of proposals in the Vienna talks and encouraged the other parties to do the same.

Iran concerned about developments in Yemen & Ukraine

As for the Ukrainian crisis, Khatibzadeh expressed his country's concern about the latest developments in Kyiv, inviting both sides to resolve their differences peacefully.

He indicated that Eurasia cannot tolerate any new crises, accusing the US policies in the region to have caused many wars and crises.

The Spokesperson also touched on the war on Yemen, considering the sides who supplied and sold weapons to the seven-year aggression on Yemen while shedding crocodile tears as actors in a theatrical play.

Read Iran's ancient history

In response to the statements of the Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Abdullatif Al-Sheikh, who alleged that Yemen is suffering from an "Iran-supported kidnapping," Khatibzadeh said such statements cannot cover years of massacres against the Yemeni people, advising politicians to read the ancient history of Iran before making similar statements.

He also confirmed the absence of any new development in the negotiations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, reiterating Tehran's readiness to hold dialogue with Riyadh.

The top Iranian diplomat added that any party that makes miscalculations must bear the responsibility.