Speaking in his weekly press conference on Monday, Saeed Khatibzadeh briefed on the latest Iranian foreign policy developments and answered a number of questions put forward by the journalists.
Iran never accepted any precondition for Vienna talks
Referring to recent development regarding the ongoing sanctions removal talks in Vienna, Khatibzadeh said that the progress of the talks is on the right track.
The important point is that all parties to the Vienna talks agreed that what happened in previous years after the withdrawal of the United States should not be repeated, he said, adding that in some documents some issues and differences have been resolved.
"Over the past month, the process has been steadily and slowly moving forward, and we are closer than ever to reaching an agreement," he noted.
Referring to US Special Envoy for Iran’s Affairs Robert Malley's claim to set a precondition for Washington's return to the JCPOA, the Iranian top diplomat said that from the very first day, Iran has not accepted any preconditions and will not do so.
Asked about Iran's position towards the issue of interim agreement in the talk, he said, " Our position in Vienna is clear. The interim agreement has never been on our agenda. The agreement we are looking for is a stable and reliable one and will not accept anything less."
Elsewhere in his remarks, he criticized the US Secretary of State for imposing artificial deadlines for Iran, stressing that Blinken must convey this deadline and sense of urgency to the US government.
Tehran expects Americans to speed up instead of making artificial deadlines, he stressed.
Iran always stood by Yemeni people
Referring to the claims leveled by the US navy about the seizure of a ship carrying Iranian explosives for Ansarullah in the Gulf of Oman, he said that this is not the first time that the US officials make such claims.
What is happening in Yemen is a human tragedy he said, adding, "Our position is clear. We have always stood by the Yemeni people and we tried to help the process of dialogue between Yemeni parties through political mechanisms and diplomatic solutions."
According to him, the human tragedy in Yemen will not be ended unless those who initiated this unequal war choose political dialogues.
Violence and tension in the region as well as ending the siege and war in the region are problems of the region, he also said, adding that war and violence can not bring peace and security.
Iran seeks to reopen OIC representative office in S Arabia
Asked about the recent development over Tehran-Riyadh relations, he said that the relations of Iran and Saudi Arabia, as two neighbors, are inevitable in this region. The two countries must do their best to overcome the differences for the benefit of the two nations and the region.
Iranian diplomats are in Saudi Arabia to attend the upcoming summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, he said, adding, "Our focus today is to open Iran’s representative office to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)."
Regional peace, stability, security message of Maritime Security Belt 2022
He also spoke about the message of the Maritime Security Belt 2022 military drill held jointly by Iran, China, and Russia, saying that this exercise conveyed the message of peace, stability, and security in the region. He added that Iran's relations with these two countries are expanding.
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