Berlin [Germany], May 26: Iran has stated that it will only negotiate over its nuclear programme once a framework agreement has been concluded in the discussions to end the conflict.
"The details of the nuclear programme are not currently being discussed," Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told journalists on Monday.
Baghaei was responding to a question about media reports concerning a new deadline in the negotiations. The framework agreement is referred to by the negotiators as a memorandum of understanding and is said to comprise 14 points.
"This 14-point agreement focuses on ending the war, and should this agreement be reached, talks on issues relating to the nuclear programme will also be held within a period of 60 days," said Baghaei.
This position differs little from Iran's previous negotiating positions. Tehran has repeatedly demanded that the war be resolved first and that the US naval blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports be lifted. Only then could negotiations on its nuclear programme take place.
Most recently, US President Donald Trump had written on Truth Social that a framework agreement had been largely negotiated. He later added: "Both sides must take their time and get it right. There can be no mistakes!"
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the overarching goal in the conflict was that Iran must never possess a nuclear weapon. No one in the world was taking such a strict stance against this as the US president, he claimed.
Source: Qatar Tribune