DUBAI, April 19. /TASS/. During the second round of indirect talks with the United States in Rome, the Iranian delegation emphasized to the US side that it regards the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as a "lesson learned" and has no intention of returning to it, according to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
In a social media post on X, Araghchi explained, "We have made it clear that many in Iran no longer view the JCPOA as a beneficial agreement. For them, what remains of this deal are simply ‘lessons learned.’ Personally, I tend to agree with that perspective."
He noted that while some optimism about the prospects of these negotiations persists, it remains cautious. He also indicated that some progress has been made in outlining the framework for a future agreement.
The second round of talks between the U.S. and Iran concluded on Saturday after nearly four hours of discussions in Rome, mediated by Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi. In these indirect negotiations, the delegations remained in separate rooms and communicated through the Omani mediator.
This session followed the inaugural round held on April 12 in Muscat, where U.S. and Iranian representatives, led respectively by Special Envoy Steven Witkoff and Araghchi, engaged in negotiations facilitated by Oman concerning Tehran’s nuclear program.
Iranian nuclear deal background
In 2015, Iran and a group of international mediators - comprising Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States - signed the JCPOA, aiming to resolve a long-standing nuclear crisis that began in 2004 amid Western concerns over Tehran’s alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons.
However, U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement during his first term, undermining the deal’s implementation. Subsequently, President Joe Biden expressed willingness to re-enter the JCPOA, and negotiations have been ongoing since April 2021 to restore the accord to its original terms. Despite these efforts, diplomatic progress has been elusive.