Iran signals readiness for direct talks with US
Amid reported piecemeal progress toward a potential deal, the Iranian government says it has been offered direct talks with the United States in the course of the ongoing multilateral nuclear negotiations in Vienna.
Spokesperson for the Iranian government Ali Bahadori Jahromi said at a briefing in Tehran on Jan. 25 that “the American side has, through different channels, presented requests for direct talks” with Iran.
He added that no such engagement has thus far taken place.
Iran and the world powers are currently holding negotiations in the Austrian capital, Vienna, in hopes of reinstating the 2015 nuclear deal formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The United States has been only indirectly involved in talks to re-establish the accord following the 2018 pullout ordered by former President Donald Trump.
Jahromi's comments coincided with what has been described by US officials as a “decisive moment” for the JCPOA’s resurrection, as some gaps are reportedly being bridged and prospects for an agreement are slowly appearing on the horizon.
