BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 6. Iran will decide on the format of discussions related to the country's nuclear program, said Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trend reports.
Speaking today during a press conference in Tehran, Baghaei emphasized that Iran has never walked away from negotiations and has always expressed support for dialogue.
"Iran is ready for discussions on the lifting of sanctions and conducting honorable negotiations related to the nuclear program," he said.
Regarding the visit of the Omani Foreign Minister to Tehran and his message, as well as Iran's position on direct talks with the United States, the Iranian Foreign Ministry official noted that the visit of Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al-Busaidi to Tehran was primarily focused on bilateral matters and regional processes. Iran has special ties with Oman.
To note, on January 16, 2016, the JCPOA came into force between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany) regarding Iran’s nuclear program. However, on May 8, 2018, the US withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the 5+1 group (Russia, China, the UK, France, the US, and Germany) and imposed new sanctions on Iran starting from November 2018.
By the end of 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to pursue a strategic plan in the nuclear sector to counter the sanctions, leading to a suspension of additional steps and the Additional Protocol as per the nuclear agreement.
Consequently, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) faced a reduction in monitoring capabilities by 20–30 percent.