DUBAI – Iran is continuing indirect nuclear negotiations with the United States through Oman, as confirmed by Iran’s Acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani, according to a report by local newspaper Etemad on July 11.
Mr. Bagheri Kani’s comments follow a statement on July 8 from a White House spokesperson indicating that the US is not prepared to resume direct nuclear talks with Iran under newly elected President Masoud Pezeshkian.
“Indirect talks are being conducted through Oman, but the negotiation process is confidential, and its details cannot be recounted,” Mr. Bagheri Kani stated. He added that efforts are underway to establish “suitable grounds” for future negotiations for the incoming Iranian government, which will assume office in the next few weeks.
President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian, a moderate who won the run-off presidential vote last week, has pledged to adopt a pragmatic foreign policy and reduce tensions with the six powers involved in the now-stalled nuclear talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear pact.
However, Iran’s foreign policy is ultimately governed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who warned in June that reliance on America is not a viable strategy for managing the country effectively. Mr. Pezeshkian takes office amid heightened Middle East tensions due to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and cross-border skirmishes between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, exacerbating disputes between Tehran and Washington.
In a letter to Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Mr. Pezeshkian reiterated on July 10 Tehran’s ongoing support for Palestinians against “the occupation of the Zionist regime (Israel).” Hezbollah and Hamas are key components of the Iranian-backed coalition known as the axis of resistance.