The new US sanctions on Iran's energy sector show a "lack of goodwill and seriousness" from Washington towards the upcoming dialogue with Tehran. This was stated by Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, quoted by „Reuters“, reports News.bg.
The statement comes just days before the planned talks between Iran and the US, which will take place this weekend in Oman.
Yesterday, Washington announced new sanctions targeting the export of liquefied natural gas from Iran – part of the broader “maximum pressure” strategy implemented by the Donald Trump administration to minimize the presence of Iranian oil on world markets.
“The continued imposition of economic sanctions on various sectors in Iran contradicts the US claims of readiness for dialogue and negotiations. This reveals its true attitude and lack of constructive engagement“, Baghaei commented.“The talks in Oman are expected to include both high-level meetings and expert discussions, with the aim of developing a framework for a possible deal on Iran’s nuclear program.“
Meanwhile, during a visit to Beijing, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi expressed moderate optimism after meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexian.“It is still early to judge what will come out of the talks, but we believe that the process is moving in the right direction. "If the American side approaches constructively and avoids unrealistic and unworkable demands, we are confident that we can reach a good deal," Araqchi told Iranian state media.