Iran says it is not planning direct meetings with the United States (U.S.) during a new round of nuclear negotiations in Vienna.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Ali Bagheri, told Iranian media on Thursday.
“Our negotiations next month will continue to be held only with (the remaining parties of) the 4+1 group for the time being.
“The 4+1 group consists of the contracting parties China, France, Britain, Russia plus Germany.”
The Vienna nuclear deal from 2015 was designed to prevent Iran from building a nuclear bomb in exchange for sanctions relief.
However, the accord was left in tatters when former U.S. president Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions.
Since the U.S. has not officially returned to the 2015 Vienna nuclear agreement, there is no reason to include the country in the negotiations yet, Bagheri said.
On Wednesday, Bagheri said Iran would resume negotiations in Vienna next month but a specific date has not been announced.
Iran wants the lifting of U.S. sanctions which have plunged the country into a severe economic crisis since 2018.
“We don’t want a coffee meeting in Vienna but serious and result-oriented talks.”
