Iran's Foreign Minister: A nuclear agreement is possible if America returns to its commitments, and we are open to restoring relations with Saudi Arabia

Abdullahian explained - in statements to the "Today's Meeting" program on 9/1/2022 that the seventh round had witnessed many problems and differences, and he justified this by the fact that the two negotiating parties - after the Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi took over - needed some time to define the negotiation literature as between them.

However, the Iranian minister stressed that the atmosphere has become more positive and calls for optimism, in a way that raises hope that an agreement will be reached if the European countries and the United States abide by their commitments.

From Tehran's point of view - as the minister explained - reaching the agreement depends on the United States' commitment to return to what it pledged in the agreement reached in 2015.

With regard to Iran's demands to lift sanctions, Abdullahian explained that Tehran demands the lifting of all sanctions imposed on it by former US President Donald Trump after his retreat from the agreement, noting that the American side expressed willingness to lift some sanctions, which he believes may harm reaching a nuclear agreement. However, Tehran insists on lifting all sanctions imposed after the 2015 agreement was withdrawn, including those imposed on Iranian foreign trade.

As for the guarantees demanded by Tehran, the Iranian Minister of Diplomacy explained that Tehran is demanding guarantees to ensure that the scenario of retracting the agreement will not be repeated, as happened after Trump came to power.

Relations with Riyadh

With regard to the negotiations his country is conducting with Saudi Arabia in Baghdad, he affirmed Tehran's readiness to restore diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia at any time Riyadh announces its desire to do so.

Abdullahian explained that Saudi Arabia wants to discuss all regional issues, but Tehran first wants to focus on bilateral issues and relations, and then proceed to regional affairs.

The Iranian minister sought to dispel the fears of his country's neighbors about the expansion of Iran's regional influence and missile power, and stressed that Iranian influence is in the interest of Tehran and its Arab and Muslim neighbors, and will never be against them.

He also criticized the normalization of some of Iran's relations with Israel, stressing his conviction that these countries will be the first to pay the price of rapprochement with Israel.