TEHRAN — In his last briefing as the Foreign Ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh gave new details about the impending JCPOA revival talks between Iran and the United States.

Regarding the timing and venue of the talks, Khatibzadeh said, “Both the time and the place are almost determined. Give us a few hours so that the final decisions are made. Messages are exchanged and comments are being taken. Hopefully, one of the countries in the Persian Gulf will be the host, and this meeting will take place in the coming days and this week. It will probably be clear by the end of today, given the messages that are being exchanged.”

He then went on to thank the EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, noting, “We are grateful for the role played by the European Union and for Borrell himself, because of his contacts that took place after the developments of the last few weeks, especially both before and after the issuance of the anti-Iran IAEA Board of Governors’ resolution.”

In the contacts that Borrell had with Iran and the U.S., one of the issues that he requested was that the talks be based on the initiative proposed by Iran, which was given before the resolution, Khatibzadeh said.
 
After this, the spokesman said, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian invited Borrell to Tehran and the sides held detailed talks during which the chief EU diplomat conveyed the views of the American side.

“Amir Abdollahian and Borrell had a one-hour private talk with the presence of their deputies and talked about the various aspects of continuing the talks.”

Borrel was accompanied by a four-member team, including his deputy Enrique Mora.

“The most important thing they said was that the United States is committed to everything that is in the JCPOA and guarantees Iran's economic benefits. Of course, they pledged to address differential points between Tehran and Washington,” the spokesman said.

The diplomat continued, “Amir Abdollahian and Borrell had a one-hour private talk with the presence of their deputies and talked about the various aspects of continuing the talks. Of course, other issues mentioned by Amir Abdollahian in his presser with Borrell were also discussed during the meeting.”

Khatibzadeh confirmed that the two sides have reached agreements on both the content and form, which happened during the three-month pause and the last session conducted in Vienna. 

However, he said, whether the Americans will come as planned and show in practice that they will continue Trump's legacy and accept that it is a responsible player “we have to wait and see”.

The spokesman added, “We are committed to resolving the few remaining issues as soon as possible, and we hope that the messages that Borrell brought will be seen in practice.”

Khatibzadeh said the U.S. has shown how unreliable it is, and it has shown to what extent it does not adhere to what it signs and commits.

It has shown that it uses all means to empty the content of the agreements and not fulfill its obligations, the spokesman added.
 
“What we are told is the opposite of what has been done to date. Therefore, we proceeded to these negotiations with determination and seriousness, assuming definite distrust of the American side,” Khatibzadeh remarked when asked about Iran’s demands from that U.S. that Washington provide guarantees that it will not violate its commitments again. 

Khatibzadeh continued by saying that the greatest guarantee for the Iranian nation is their own capabilities. 

“If we do not take further retaliatory steps today, it is because we do not want to, not because we cannot. We act according to our natural needs, and they saw this in action. What is the inherent guarantee and capability of this nation is what we always maintain,” the diplomat said. 

Of course, he said, various guarantees have been predicted about which Tehran is careful, and these must be finalized.

In response to a question posed by the Tehran Times’ correspondent about the statements of Iranian top negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani quoted by an MP that Borrell's visit had nothing to do with the content of the JCPOA, he said, “What we are going to do in the next few days in the next negotiations is not about the nuclear aspect of the talks, because the nuclear issues have been closed once.”

The upcoming talks will only center on the disputes that still remain including the lifting of sanctions, he noted. “What is going to be negotiated in one of the Persian Gulf countries is only about a few remaining issues in the field of lifting sanctions, so nothing will be added to the agreements reached in Vienna and nothing will be omitted.”

He then went on to reiterate that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.”

The spokesman continued by saying that Amir Abdollahian also mentioned that Borrell acts as the facilitator. 

“What is going to be negotiated between us and the other party are issues related to the content. These talks are a continuation of the format that was in Vienna; that is, it will be conducted indirectly, and it is only about the quarrelsome issues that has remained since last meeting in Vienna. We hope to see positive results. The ball is in Washington's court. If it comes with an answer, be sure that the agreement can be reached quickly,” Khatibzadeh concluded. 

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that U.S. Special Envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, was expected to arrive in Doha on Monday and meet with the Qatari foreign minister. Reuters also said that an Iranian official has told the media that Iran's chief negotiator Bagheri Kani would be in Doha for the talks on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Also, Reuters claimed that Qatar will host indirect talks between Iran and the United States in coming days, citing Iranian media.

At the end of his presser, Khatibzadeh bode farewell to the press, announcing that next week’s presser would be held by the new spokesman, Nasser Kanaani. 
Kanaani previously served as the head of the office for protection of Iran’s interests in Egypt.