Iran is still conducting indirect nuclear talks with the United States via Oman, Iran's Etemad newspaper on Thursday quoted Iran's acting foreign minister. Ali Bagheri Kani's reported comments followed remarks on Monday from the White House spokesperson that the United States was not ready to resume nuclear talks with Iran under the newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
"Indirect talks are being conducted through Oman but the negotiation process is confidential and its details cannot be recounted," Bagheri Kani said in the report adding that efforts were being made to leave "suitable grounds" for negotiations for the new Iranian government that will take office in the next few weeks.
Pezeshkian, a moderate who won Iran's run-off presidential election last week, said he will promote a pragmatic foreign policy and ease tensions with the six powers involved in now-stalled nuclear talks to revive a 2015 nuclear pact.
However, foreign policy in Iran is ultimately decided by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei who warned last month ahead of the ballot, that "one who thinks that nothing can be done without the favor of America will not manage the country well."
Pezeshkian assumes office at a time of growing Middle East tensions over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and over cross-border fire between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah terror group, which have exacerbated disputes between Tehran and Washington.
In a letter to senior Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday, Pezeshkian reiterated Tehran's continued support for Palestinians against "the occupation of the Zionist regime (Israel)."
Shiite Muslim Hezbollah and Sunni Muslim Hamas are part of a group of Iranian-backed factions in the region known as the Axis of Resistance.