AiBotTehran, Iran – Amid growing tensions and escalating accusations, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has expressed frustration with the stalled negotiations between Iran and the United States regarding the lifting of sanctions and the nuclear issue. According to Esmaeil Baqaei, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the U.S. government’s failure to meet its commitment under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has effectively halted any form of negotiation.
Baqaei criticized the United States for its “blatant and extensive violations” of the agreement, which was signed in 2015 with the aim of preventing Iran’s nuclear program from developing into a nuclear weapons capability. The parties agreed that negotiations would take place within 60 days following the agreement, but no talks have gotten underway as of yet.
The U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018 and subsequent reintroduction of economic sanctions on Iran had already caused significant strain on the nuclear deal. Iranian officials have long maintained that the sanctions are an attempt to undermine the agreement and that the U.S. has failed to fulfill its end of the bargain regarding lifting sanctions on Iranian oil and banking sectors.
Baqaei stated that without a resolution to these issues, there can be no meaningful negotiations about the nuclear program. He also accused the U.S. of making impossible demands on Iran, including a total and permanent ban on all nuclear activities. Iranian officials have consistently argued that such a ban is unreasonable and unrealistic given the country’s past right to access peaceful nuclear technologies.
The situation between the United States and Iran has continued to deteriorate, with both sides engaging in heightened rhetoric. In recent months, tensions escalated when the U.S. accused Iran of attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, with Iran retaliating by revealing a secret U.S. military base in the country.
The international community has long expressed support for the JCPOA, and a number of countries have urged the two parties to return to negotiations. However, given the current impasse, prospects for a breakthrough appear unlikely in the near future.