An Iranian diplomat said today that his country’s goal during upcoming nuclear discussions is to remove sanctions. 

“The main purpose of these talks from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s standpoint is to remove the illegal sanctions imposed on the Iranian nation by the US government,” deputy foreign minister Ali Baqeri-Kani told the semi-official Press TV. 

Baqeri-Kani is Iran’s chief negotiator on the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The agreement removed international sanctions on Iran in exchange for compliance on its nuclear program. Former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and re-imposed many sanctions after accusing Iran of seeking a nuclear weapon. President Joe Biden’s administration is currently negotiating the United States’ re-entry into the agreement. 

Indirect talks between the United States and Iran on the deal began in Vienna, Austria, earlier this year, but stopped in June after the election of hardline Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. The deliberations will resume on Nov. 29, in part thanks to European diplomats. The European Union, Russia and China are also part of the JCPOA, and the EU in particular serves as an intermediary between the Americans and the Iranians.