Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that the new administration is holding “internal consultations” on how to continue negotiations concerning the 2015 nuclear agreement.

“Despite internal consultations at the beginning of its tenure on how to continue Vienna talks, the Iranian government has made clear that it will welcome negotiations that have tangible results and serve the rights and interests of the people,” Abdollahian said during a telephone conversation with his British counterpart Dominic Raab on Monday.

Advertisement

The Iranian government expects “all illegal sanctions” against Iran to be cancelled, he said.

According to the official Iranian readout of the conversation, the British Foreign Secretary, for his part, greeted Abdollahian over his appointment and expressed hope that under the new Iranian administration, bilateral relations would develop on the basis of mutual understanding.

Raab took to Twitter later and wrote he had called on Iran “to release all arbitrarily detained British nationals” and to return to the Vienna talks to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement.

The two sides agreed to continue their talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting later this month in New York, IRNA reported.

Former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 agreement in May 2018 and unilaterally re-imposed sanctions on Iran.

In response, Iran has gradually ceased to perform parts of its commitments under the deal since May 2019, invoking provisions within the text of the accord.

After six rounds of talks in Vienna since April, the parties said serious differences remain between Iran and the US for the revitalisation of the agreement.

The sixth round of talks ended on June 20, two days after Iran’s June 18 presidential election.