Iran's Chief Negotiator In Muscat As Prospects Of Saving 2015 Deal Fade

Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri-Kani has travelled to Oman about a week after Tehran-Washington talks in Qatar failed to produce any results.

Bagheri-Kani, who leads the Iranian team in talks to restore the 2015 deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), set off for Muscat Thursday morning, a few days after he paid an unannounced visit to Russia following the failure of the proximity talks in Doha. Before the Doha talks, Oman had reportedly proposed to host the indirect negotiations. 

Earlier in the week, Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held a phone conversation with his Oman counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, in which he reiterated Tehran’s seriousness to achieve an "enduring and strong" agreement, repeating that “constructive negotiations depend on seriousness, initiative and flexibility on the American side.” 

On Wednesday, Qatar's Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was also in Iran to follow up on nuclear talks. Addressing a joint press conference with his Qatari counterpart, Amir-Abdollahian rejected claims made by US officials about new demands raised by the Iranian delegation in Doha talks, saying the Islamic Republic’s requests are in line with the 2015 accord.

On Sunday, Al Thani also discussed the latest status of Vienna talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.