US State Dept: No progress made with Iran on nuclear talks in Doha
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Washington's demands are unacceptable to the Iranian side.
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European external action service official, Enrique Mora, with Iranian deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, in Vienna, on June 20, 2021. (Reuters)
Relaying what Tasnim news agency revealed yesterday, the US State Department late Wednesday said that indirect talks in Doha between Iran and the US have concluded with "no progress made."
The talks, which lasted two days, were an attempt to return to the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the US, which was mediated by the European Union.
The most recent talks took place at a hotel in Doha and were headed by Robert Malley, a special envoy for the US.
Read more: Tasnim: Indirect nuclear talks between US, Iran fruitless
"While we are very grateful to the EU for its efforts, we are disappointed that Iran has, yet again, failed to respond positively to the EU's initiative and therefore that no progress was made," the spokesperson told AFP in an email.
EU coordinator Enrique Mora earlier said that the parties were engaged in two intense days of proximity talks" but did not achieve anything from the negotiations.
"We will keep working with even greater urgency to bring back on track a key deal for non-proliferation and regional stability," he said on Twitter earlier in the day, posting a photo of himself meeting with Iran's chief negotiator Ali Bagheri.
Two intense days of proximity talks in Doha on #JCPOA. Unfortunately, not yet the progress the EU team as coordinator had hoped-for. We will keep working with even greater urgency to bring back on track a key deal for non-proliferation and regional stability @JosepBorrellF pic.twitter.com/eA1Wluif01
— Enrique Mora (@enriquemora_) June 29, 2022
One EU source told AFP that the discussions were supposed to last several days.
No serious intentions, unrealistic
Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Wednesday that Tehran was serious about finalizing the deal, but the American side had unrealistic demands and that their intentions were not serious, according to Iranian state news agency IRNA.
"If the American side has serious intentions and is realistic, an agreement is available at this stage and in this round of negotiations," he was quoted as saying.
Iranian officials earlier said they were hoping for progress in Qatar -- but warned the American side to abandon the "Trump method" of negotiating.
"We hope that, God willing, we can reach a positive and acceptable agreement if the United States abandons the Trump method," Iranian government spokesman Ali Bahadori-Jahromi said. The Trump method, being "non-compliance with international law and past agreements and disregard for the legal rights of the Iranian people".
