Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian denied that his country made demands outside the nuclear agreement, and praised the Qatari role in the talks, while Washington imposed new sanctions on entities and individuals it said were linked to the Iranian oil sector.

At a press conference held in Tehran yesterday, Wednesday - after talks with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar - Abdullahian demanded guarantees to benefit from the full economic benefits in any future agreement.

He also stressed that Qatar played an important role during the recent indirect talks with the US side in Doha.

For his part, the Qatari Foreign Minister affirmed that his country supports any nuclear negotiations in order to reach a just agreement that takes into account the concerns of all parties.

Iran's National Security Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani said his country has engaged in nuclear negotiations in order to reach a strong, lasting and trustworthy agreement.

Shamkhani added - while receiving the Qatari foreign minister - that sanctions should be lifted in any agreement so that all countries can easily invest in Iran, and he also renewed his country's commitment to diplomacy, adding that Iran is serious about nuclear negotiations to obtain all its legal rights, as he put it.

The Qatari Foreign Minister (left) affirmed during his meeting with his Iranian counterpart Doha's support for negotiating in order to reach a fair agreement (Reuters)

points of contention

Regarding the remaining points of contention between Iran and the United States, which are expected to be discussed during the upcoming talks with the aim of reviving the nuclear agreement, they are represented in terms and conditions;

Iran is demanding the lifting of the sanctions imposed after Washington withdrew from the nuclear agreement and the various sanctions imposed as part of the US policy of maximum pressure.

On the other hand, Washington says that Iran is demanding what is outside the agreement, and that it must respond to concerns that go beyond the nuclear agreement.

Iran also demands political, legal and commercial guarantees from the American and European sides so that withdrawal from the agreement is not repeated.

But Washington previously announced that it could not provide Iran with guarantees that the next US administration would not withdraw from the nuclear agreement.

Iran also demands the removal of the Revolutionary Guards from the list of American terrorist organizations, but this request requires broader negotiations that include other files as well, and this matter is rejected by Iran.


US sanctions

In a new development, the US Treasury announced the imposition of new sanctions on an international network of entities and individuals linked to the Iranian oil sector.

The ministry said that the network worked through front companies in the Gulf to facilitate the delivery and sale of Iranian oil and petrochemical products worth hundreds of millions of dollars to East Asia.

Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said that while the United States is committed to seeking a joint return to the nuclear deal with Iran, it continues to use all of its powers to impose sanctions on the sale of Iranian oil and petrochemicals.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said entities in Iran, Vietnam, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong were supporting Iran's multimillion-dollar illicit energy trade.

Blinken added that Washington is steadfast in pursuing the path of diplomacy, noting that Iran has so far failed to show a similar commitment to the path of diplomacy to achieve a mutual return to the agreement.

He explained that Washington will continue to use sanctions to target exports of petroleum and petrochemical products if there is no change in the Iranian path.