TEHRAN- According to the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Tehran has never left the negotiating table and has demonstrated sincerity about reaching a deal to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear accord.

Nasser Kanaani, speaking at a news conference on Monday, said Iran has never abandoned diplomatic attempts to lift the harsh sanctions imposed on the Iranian nation after the U.S. withdrew from the nuclear agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Iran’s government has never left the negotiation table and has shown its readiness to conduct serious and substantive negotiations in order to reach a conclusion,” he noted.

The statements were made one day after Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, indicated that a deal is possible as long as Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remains intact.

However, Iran does not trust the West, which has “reneged on its promises numerous times and has proven to be untrustworthy,” Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out.

Like the Leader, Kanaani stated that Iran will continue to focus on neutralizing sanctions since it doesn’t trust the West, while still pursuing talks to get them completely lifted.

“We have clear, principled views about the JCPOA and nuclear negotiations,” he pointed out. 

The Leader also highlighted, “While Iran has put the policy of neutralizing sanctions at the top of its agenda by relying on its internal capacities and expanding its relations with neighbors and friendly countries, it has never stopped the diplomatic processes with the aim of removing the cruel sanctions.”

Since last August, multilateral diplomatic attempts to resurrect the JCPOA have stopped. 

The United States has refused to give assurance that it will not quit the nuclear deal if it is restored. 

Under former U.S. president Donald Trump, the U.S. withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and introduced “maximum pressure” sanctions against Iran.

Iran denies claims of ‘interim agreement’

The spokesperson also acknowledged that messages were exchanged between Iran and the U.S. with Oman’s assistance and mediation. 

In order to start the negotiations to lift the sanctions, he added, “We welcomed the mediation proposal put forth by senior Omani officials a few weeks ago and exchanged messages with the other side.”

“The exchange of messages continues and the diplomatic apparatus uses all capacities within the framework of Iran’s principled policies to secure national interests. We used Oman’s capacity and assistance as a friendly country,” Kanaani added. 

The spokesman said the Muscat negotiations were public, highlighting the fact that Iran is unlikely to give up any chance to defend its national interests while taking into account its red lines.

He also noted that media rumors regarding an “interim agreement” or a “comparable agreement” to replace the JCPOA cannot be validated, noting that the JCPOA is the foundation of discussions for the lifting of sanctions.

‘Iran, Azerbaijan working to reopen Baku embassy in Tehran’ 

Also, Kanaani said that Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan are working to defuse the situation and clear the way for the reopening of the Azeri embassy in Tehran.

Four rounds of negotiations between the foreign ministries of Iran and Azerbaijan have taken place in recent weeks in an effort to repair the strained ties between the two countries following a deadly attack in January on the Republic of Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tehran, he emphasized. 

He said that the two top diplomats have agreed on a number of initiatives, including the exchange of technical delegations, to moderate the tensions and clarify misconceptions.

The spokesperson stated that the fourth ministerial discussions took place following reciprocal visits by the delegations of the two nations, which revealed intentions for the exchange of more teams.

“We are currently in the stage of negotiations to move from the phase of tension to a new phase on the reopening of Azerbaijan’s embassy in Tehran,” Kanaani averred. 

‘Latin American nations interested in Iran’s potential’

Kanaani also elaborated on President Raisi’s current trip to three countries in Latin America and noted that South America is one of Iran’s interests.

“Fortunately, we have similar political ideas with the majority of South American nations, which makes collaboration easier,” he said, adding, “Additionally, the two sides have comparable economic strengths.”

He pointed out that Latin American nations are interested in Iran’s economic, industrial, and technological potential, which presents an excellent chance to expand commercial relationships.

Iran, Afghanistan reach understanding on water sharing 

Kanaani also stressed that Iran and the interim government in Kabul have had fruitful discussions and reached an understanding that calls on the Afghan side to take proactive and novel actions regarding Iran’s water from the Helmand River and that technical measures should be taken.

Noting the necessity of maintaining a positive atmosphere between the two nations as well as the current contract between Afghanistan and Iran concerning Iran’s water rights, he said that Tehran expects the Afghan party to uphold their commitments and demonstrate their good faith because water is the right of the Iranian people, especially residents of Sistan-Baluchestan.

So, he said, implementing the contract can help prevent future conflicts.

‘Iran-U.S. prisoner swap possible if Washington shows sincerity’

Kanaani stated that if the other side is sincere, a deal on the prisoner swap between Iran and the United States is possible.

“Since we have taken all the necessary steps to address the humanitarian side of the situation, we expect to witness the exchange of detainees,” he continued.

He clarified that talks are still going on through mediators and said that “everything depends on the will of the other party.”