Talks on Removal of Sanctions in NY a Possibility

It is possible that the Iranian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly hold talks with parties to negotiations for the lifting of sanctions as per the 2015 nuclear deal on the sidelines of the event in New York, although this has not been preplanned, a senior Iranian diplomat said. 
“We will use any opportunity to express our views and advance Iran’s interests in the international arena,” Foreign Ministry Nasser Kanaani said at a regular press briefing on Monday, ISNA reported.
He pointed out that no plan has been made in advance for nuclear talks on the sidelines of the annual summit, but the issue might be raised during bilateral meetings. 
A delegation headed by President Ebrahim Raisi have traveled to New York to attend the 77th UNGA. Besides a speech by the president, the delegates are set to hold talks with leaders from participating countries on the sidelines of the event. 
Kanaani stressed, however, that no meeting will be held between Iranian and American officials in New York, and contacts about the nuclear talks will continue to be through the European Union. 
For more than a year, Iran has been engaged in negotiations on reviving the 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which lifted sanctions on Tehran in return for curbs on its nuclear program. 
The United States pulled out of the JCPOA in 2018 and reimposed tough sanctions that prompted Tehran to react by scaling down its commitments. 
Negotiations in the Austrian capital Vienna have been indirect and through the EU whose latest initiative is currently being discussed by both sides. 
Iran’s top negotiator Ali Baqeri Kani is also among the country’s delegates to New York, although his mission concerns the high-level summit only and does not involve plans for bilateral meetings with American officials about the nuclear issue or other subjects, according to Kanaani. 
Raisi had also stressed earlier that no meeting with US President Joe Biden or other American authorities is on the agenda. 

No Parallels 

The EU proposal was meant to break the impasse in negotiations, but the recent developments have not been favorable. 
Western countries are questioning Iran’s will to reach a deal, while Tehran insists that its legitimate demands must be met. 
Kanaani rejected any process parallel to Vienna talks with the mediation of Oman, saying the negotiations are carried out within the previous known framework. 
“If you mean third parties’ role with good faith, this is not new,” he told the questioning reporter. 
Various countries have previously tried to play a diplomatic role to help reconcile the negotiating parties’ views and Iran has always welcomed such efforts, he said. 
“If any country takes such a step and plays a constructive role, with a view to help settle the differences, Iran will continue to welcome it as before,” he said.