TEHRAN – Iran’s acting Foreign Minister has announced that the late President Ebrahim Raisi's administration laid the groundwork for resuming negotiations aimed at terminating anti-Iran sanctions and neutralizing bans against Iran.

Ali Baqeri Kani made these remarks on Wednesday on the sidelines of the Iranian government’s weekly cabinet meeting in Tehran.

He stated, "The late Raisi’s administration advanced foreign policy in such a way that it encountered no opposition domestically or internationally, particularly in its regional and neighborliness policies."

Highlighting the efforts to remove Western-led sanctions on Tehran, Baqeri Kani added, "From the start of the 13th government, the late Raisi emphasized both negotiating and neutralizing sanctions. Serious negotiations were pursued, despite some interruptions."

Baqeri Kani asserted that Iran followed a "right and logical path" and is currently on a promising trajectory. He suggested that the next administration could continue this smooth path with renewed vigor in both lifting sanctions and consolidating nuclear rights.

Additionally, he praised late President Raisi’s good neighborliness policy, which fostered mutual political trust and improved Iran's relations with neighboring countries.

"Since Raisi’s inauguration and subsequent meetings with foreign representatives, there has been a noticeable increase in political mutual trust, which must be followed by economic interactions to achieve regional stability and progress," Baqeri Kani said.

The former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in May 2018, imposing severe economic sanctions on Tehran despite Iran's compliance with the agreement.

In response, Tehran reduced its commitments to the JCPOA after witnessing the failure of other parties to uphold their obligations.

Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump, did not fulfill his campaign promises to rejoin the JCPOA and instead imposed new sanctions on Tehran, hindering the deal’s revival.

ACD meeting focused on sending immediate aid to Palestine: Baqeri Kani

Baqeri Kani also noted the productive discussion with members of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) in Tehran, focusing on the urgent need for quick and unconditional aid to the oppressed Palestinian people. 

"We also had constructive meetings with several foreign ministers and deputy foreign ministers from member countries on the sidelines of the forum to discuss developing bilateral relations," Baqeri Kani added.

He highlighted that the Tehran meeting facilitated significant interaction and drew attention from regional and international media.

"This political mutual trust must be followed by economic interactions to achieve a stable and progressing region," Baqeri Kani emphasized. He noted that basic economic issues and measures to strengthen ties between Asian countries were also considered.