TEHRAN— Iran's chief negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani believes that there will be a new round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States to facilitate a possible U.S. return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the 2015 nuclear deal.

Bagheri Kani, the deputy foreign minister for political affairs, said the time and place of the talks are being finalized.

He made the remarks on the sidelines of the international conference on American human rights based on the views of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution that was held late on Sunday.

“The negotiations in Doha took place in a framework that was pre-determined in advance,” Bagheri Kani told the press after the conference. 

The last round of indirect talks between Iran and the U.S. was held in Doha, Qatar, on June 28-29. The talks were mediated by Enrique Mora, the European Union deputy foreign policy chief who coordinates the JCPOA talks.

He added that the continuation of the talks is based on the agreement between Tehran and “the other party, which is clearly represented by Mr. Mora.”

Iran’s chief negotiator pointed out that the time and venue of the next negotiations are included in the exchange of messages between Tehran and Mora. 

Later, in an interview with ILNA news agency, Bagheri Kani explained about his recent trip to Moscow.

The chief negotiator said all throughout the talks the Iranian side has been holding talks with the remaining parties in the JCPOA.

“During the negotiations, we met with all the negotiating parties. We consulted with China and Russia,” he remarked. 

He then noted that China is not in a favorable situation for travel due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“For this reason, we have continuous consultations with the Chinese through their embassy in Tehran and our embassy in Beijing and by phone. Yet, as the Russians do not have coronavirus travel restrictions, sometimes they come (to Tehran) or we go (to Moscow),” he concluded.