Iran govt vows to continue nuclear talks until interests protected

Iran has pledged to continue the talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal until its "national interests are completely and comprehensively protected", official media reported.

The remarks were made by Ali Bahadori-Jahromi, spokesman of the Iranian government, in response to talk that the US is close to admitting the failure of the Vienna nuclear talks, reports Xinhua news agency.

The nuclear negotiations are among Iran's top priorities, Bahadori-Jahromi noted.

Iran will continue efforts within the framework of the international diplomatic mechanisms until it protects its economic interests and nuclear rights, the spokesman added.

In July 2015, Iran signed with the world powers a nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in which Tehran agrees to curb its nuclear program in return for the removal of the international sanctions on it.

However, former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, prompting the latter to gradually drop some of its nuclear commitments under the agreement.

Since April 2021, several rounds of talks have been held in the Austrian capital between Iran and the remaining JCPOA parties to revive the deal.

Iran insists on securing guarantees that the US government would not abandon the deal again and lifting the sanctions in a verifiable manner.

--IANS

ksk/