Iran open to indirect nuclear talks with U.S. at UN General Assembly: official

TEHRAN, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Monday that the country is open to indirect nuclear talks with the United States on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) through mediators.

Kanaani made the remarks at a press conference in Tehran, commenting on the likelihood of talks between Iran and the other parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), on its revival and the removal of sanctions on Iran.

Kanaani said Iran will pursue efforts to lift the sanctions through diplomatic talks and is committed to the negotiation path. He added that Iran will use any potential opportunity along the diplomatic path to remove the "cruel" sanctions and prepare the ground for a "committed return" by all sides, including the United States, to the JCPOA.

Kanaani noted that Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, leading a high-ranking delegation, left Tehran for New York on Sunday to attend the UNGA meetings, adding that the trip is a very good opportunity for holding meetings and negotiations.

The spokesman added that in addition to delivering a speech at the UNGA meeting, the Iranian president will hold bilateral talks with a number of foreign leaders and attend several meetings on the sidelines of the main event.

Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. The United States, however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.

The talks on the revival of the JCPOA began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria. Despite several rounds of talks, no significant breakthrough has been achieved since the end of the last round in August 2022.