Iran leader doubts outcome of U.S. nuclear talks

The Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Tuesday, expressed doubt, saying that he did not believe negotiations with the United States over Iran’s nuclear program will yield any results.

Khamenei was quoted by Mehr News Agency as saying: “Indirect negotiations with the U.S. were held during President Ebrahim Raisi’s tenure, as they are now, but they led nowhere.

“I do not think they will lead to a result now either.”

He also criticised U.S. demands for Iran to halt uranium enrichment, calling them a “big mistake,” according to the ISNA news agency.

The Supreme Leader insisted that Tehran follows its own policy and does not need to be told what to do.

On Monday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi warned that a deal with the U.S. would be impossible if Washington continued to insist on a complete cessation of uranium enrichment.

Since mid-April, Tehran and Washington have held four rounds of Oman-mediated nuclear talks.

These discussions were initiated after U.S. President Joe Biden sent a letter to Khamenei in early March, reportedly offering a new deal while also warning of possible military action if diplomacy failed.

Although Iran rejected direct talks, it agreed to indirect negotiations.

On Tuesday, another Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed that Tehran had received a proposal for the next round of indirect talks with the U.S. and was reviewing it.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, citing an unnamed source, the next round of talks may be held in Rome this weekend.

Iran signed a nuclear agreement in 2015 with China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, and the European Union.

The deal committed Iran to limit its nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.

However, the U.S. withdrew from the deal in 2018 under President Donald Trump and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran, leading to the deal’s collapse.

In response, Iran gradually abandoned the restrictions on its nuclear research and uranium enrichment levels.(RIA/NAN)