Iran deputy FM says no contact with US since Trump’s return

Iran and the United States have not exchanged any messages since the return of Donald Trump to the White House, a senior Iranian diplomat said on Monday.

“It has only been a few days since the new American administration took office and no messages have been exchanged,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told the local ISNA news agency.

During his first term, Trump pursued a policy of “maximum pressure”, withdrawing the US from a landmark nuclear deal which imposed curbs on Iran’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.

Tehran adhered to the deal — known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — until Washington’s withdrawal but then began rolling back its commitments. Efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear pact have since faltered.

“We have to plan calmly and patiently. When the policies of the other side (Trump) are announced, we act accordingly,” said Takht-Ravanchi.

On Thursday, Trump said he hoped to avoid military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, hoping for an agreement.

Iran has repeatedly expressed willingness to revive the deal, and President Masoud Pezeshkian, who took office in July, has called for an end to his country’s isolation.

Earlier this month, before Trump officially returned to the White House, Iranian officials held nuclear talks with counterparts from Britain, France and Germany.

Both sides described the talks as “frank and constructive”.

Takht-Ravanchi said that it was the third round of talks after two earlier rounds one in Geneva and another in New York last year.

He expected another round of talks to be held “within a month” but said the “date has not been confirmed yet”. Takht-Ravanchi said Iran and European countries agreed on the framework of the JCPOA which entails curbing Iran’s nuclear activities in return for lifting sanctions.

“We will not include non-nuclear issues in the negotiations, as was done in the JCPOA negotiations,” he added.

from The Dawn News - Home https://ift.tt/Vmhqe2b

Comments

Ministers rubbish notion that proposed retirement age extension to favour ‘one particular institution’

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday rubbished the notion that a proposed extension in the retirement age was to favour “one particular institution”, adding that the move would be implemented across the board if approved. The rebuttal comes in the wake of media reports claiming that the government was mulling changes to the Constitution to fix the tenure of the chief justice . Currently, judges of the Supreme Court, including the chief justice, retire after attaining the age of superannuation, i.e. 65 years, as stipulated in Article 179 of the Constitution. While giving his opinion recently on the reports of the constitutional amendment, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had said he “will not vehemently turn down the proposals related to the tenure of the chief justice”. Addressing the issue during a press conference in Islamabad today along since Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and the law minister, Attaullah said the extension in the retirement age was “a proposal to a...

The Republican primary race for president in 2024

The Republican primary race for president in 2024 is already shaping up to be a competitive one. There are a number of high-profile candidates who have already announced their intention to run, and more are expected to join the field in the coming months. The frontrunner for the nomination is former President Donald Trump. Trump has been teasing a 2024 run for months, and he has a large and loyal following among Republican voters. However, he is also a polarizing figure, and his candidacy could alienate some moderate Republicans. Another potential contender for the nomination is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis has been praised by many conservatives for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and his opposition to vaccine mandates. He is also seen as a rising star in the Republican Party. Other potential candidates include former Vice President Mike Pence, former Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Senator Tim Scott. Pence is a more traditional Republican who could appeal to moderate vote...

In pictures: Grief in Gaza and the loss of a child

In the photo, the woman cradles a child in her arms, balanced on her knee. It is an image that resonates, as ancient as human history. But in a grim inversion of the familiar, we see that the child she holds close is a corpse, wrapped in a shroud. It is a quiet moment of intense grief. The woman wears a headscarf and her head is bowed. We cannot see who she is nor can we learn anything about the child — not even if it is a boy or girl. Palestinian woman Inas Abu Maamar, 36, embraces the body of her 5-year-old niece Saly, who was killed in an Israeli strike, at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, October 17, 2023. The child is one of many who have lost their lives on both sides in the Israel-Hamas war. Most have names we will never know, whose deaths will spark a lifetime of grief for family members we will never meet. In the 21st century, an average of almost 20 children a day have been killed or maimed in wars around the world, according to Unicef. Reuter...

Infinity Social Updates

Search This Blog