TEHRAN, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian foreign minister said Wednesday that the United States must give up its excessive demands so that "strenuous efforts in Vienna to get all sides to return to their commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal will pay off."
Hossein Amir Abdollahian made the remarks in a meeting with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on the sidelines of a gathering of foreign ministers of Afghanistan's neighbors in China, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website.
Elaborating on the present situation of the negotiations in the Austrian capital, the Iranian foreign minister said the achievement of an agreement in the talks hinges on Washington's adoption of a realistic approach.
In terms of bilateral ties between Iran and Qatar, Amir Abdollahian called for expanding bilateral economic cooperation, and following up on the implementation of the previously signed agreements.
For his part, the Qatari foreign minister underlined the need for further activation of bilateral relations, praising Iran for its active participation in Doha Forum international conference.
Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with the world powers in July 2015. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed Washington's unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the Islamic republic to reduce some of its nuclear commitments under the agreement in retaliation.
Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in the Austrian capital between Iran and the remaining JCPOA parties, namely China, Russia, Britain, France and Germany, with the United States indirectly involved, to revive the deal. ■
