Representatives from Iran and the United States are set to hold indirect negotiations in the Omani capital, Muscat, on Saturday.
Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, welcomed the talks.
“Hussein received on Friday at his residence in the Turkish city of Antalya the Iranian deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh,” the Iraqi foreign ministry said in a statement.
The statement added that “during the meeting, bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and ways to strengthen them in various fields were discussed.”
“Hussein welcomed the talks scheduled to be held tomorrow, Saturday, in the Sultanate of Oman between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, expressing his hope that these negotiations will yield positive results that contribute to achieving stability in the region.”
The Argentinean Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, also expressed hope that Iran and the US reach a nuclear deal as soon as possible.
Grossi said he was optimistic that the two sides can resolve differences in economic and trade areas through equal-footed dialog and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Stephane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, expressed hope regarding the Muscat negotiations.
On Friday, the Iranian President also expressed hopefulness of improving the welfare, stability, and development of all countries in the region.
A delegation of high-ranking Iranian diplomats, headed by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, arrived in the Omani capital of Muscat on Saturday morning to hold indirect negotiations with the US team over Tehran’s civilian nuclear program.
Araghchi has emphasized that the primary objective of the upcoming negotiations with the US in Oman is to discuss the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities and the removal of illegal sanctions against Tehran.
Iranian officials have repeatedly warned against the Americans’ continued pursuit of a hostile position against the Islamic Republic, citing the unreliability of the United States’ government.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened a bombing campaign against Iran if Tehran fails to reach a new deal.
During his first term in office in 2018, Trump announced the United States’ withdrawal from the landmark Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the “Iran nuclear deal” or the “Iran deal.”
The announcement unraveled the signature foreign policy achievement of his predecessor Barack Obama.
Trump’s move isolated the United States against its Western allies and sowed general uncertainty about the reliability of the US government in honoring its deals.
Press TV