Iran will never cross its red lines in Vienna talks: FM

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says Iran has informed the Western parties that it will never cross its own red lines in the Vienna negotiations aimed at putting the 2015 nuclear deal back on track.

"Under no circumstances will we cross the red lines of the Islamic Republic in the Vienna talks and we will show our strong commitment to this issue," he said in a joint press conference with  his Omani counterpart, Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi, in Tehran on Wednesday.

“We believe that any negotiation requires to be useful and that there should be benefits for the great nation of Iran in that discussion.”

Amir-Abdollahian also said that the talks in the Austrian capital have reached a critical stage, adding that there are still few but very important issues to be solved in the course of the negotiations.

Iran, the FM added, is holding direct talks with the representatives of the P4+1 group of countries while exchanging non-papers with the US through European Union deputy foreign policy chief Enrique Mora.

“We receive many messages from US officials underlining the need for direct dialog. What matters to us is what will be the benefit of this dialog.... We have heard mostly positive words and messages from the American side, but so far it has not taken any practical steps to prove its goodwill,” he said.

“Therefore, we are optimistic about the Vienna talks. We hope that the few sensitive, important remaining issues will be settled in the coming days with the realism of the Western side.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, the FM said Tehran-Muscat relations are “on a good path” and hailed political ties as “exemplary and strategic” in the Persian Gulf region.

He further noted that the two countries have agreed to develop trade cooperation, expressing hope that Iran’s President Ebrahim Raeisi will visit Oman as soon as possible upon an invitation sent by Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.

The Omani FM, for his part, emphasized that political relations between the two countries are based on mutual trust and respect as well as common interests.

He also said that he hopes Raeisi will visit Oman in the near future so that the two countries will mark a new chapter in bilateral cooperation.

SS