Raisi Says Iran Is ‘Absolutely Serious’ About Nuclear Talks

Iran’s hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi said that the Islamic Republic is “absolutely serious” about nuclear talks that are set to resume later this month. He made the statement on Tuesday in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin,  which was then published on the Presidency’s website, the French news agency AFP reported.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is absolutely serious about the negotiations and we are equally serious about our people’s rights to have sanctions lifted,” Raisi said.

Talks between the world powers and Iran to restart the nuclear deal are scheduled to resume on November 29 in Vienna; the United States will be in Vienna and will participate in indirect negotiations toward rejoining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the official name of the 2015 agreement. The talks began in April in Vienna and went for six rounds before stalling over the summer due to Iran’s elections. US President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the deal in 2018, leading Iran to breach its limits on uranium enrichment several times over.

US Special Envoy on Iran Robert Malley, who is currently visiting several countries in the Middle East ahead of the talks, landed in Israel on Monday.

Raisi’s comments came a day after the Iranian government invited International Atomic Energy head Rafael Grossi to visit the country for consultations with Iran’s foreign minister.