TEHRAN (Iran News) – Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh assured that Iran has had no direct or indirect contact about the JCPOA or any other issues with the U.S.

Addressing some rumors about Iran’s positive signals to the West for negotiations, he said “What is going on in this area about the JCPOA is very sensitive.”

“We had close talks with the remaining parties in the deal. Of course, we did not have a dialogue about the JCPOA with the Americans,” he explained.

“Iran has not received a step-by-step plan for the JCPOA and does not consider such a plan in accordance with its policies.”

Regarding Iran’s blocked money in Iraq, he said: “The Iraqi government has always tried to pay its debts to Iran, but there have been sanctions in the meantime.” For several months now, the path of payment of these debts has been discussed between the Central Bank of Iran and the Iraqi parties, some of which have reached a conclusion and are moving forward in their own path and channels.” “Of course, good progress has been made in this area,” he added.

Khatibzadeh, referring to President Rouhani’s telephone conversation with the Iraqi PM, noting, “In this conversation, important issues have been raised, including the need for the withdrawal of foreign troops in accordance with the law of the Iraqi parliament.”

“This law is not limited to one foreign country’s force,” he noted.

Referring to the developments in Yemen, Khatibzadeh said Iran is “really worried about the tragic crisis inside Yemen. Today, millions of Yemenis are in dire need of healthy food and potable water, and this is a shameful situation that is happening inside Yemen.”

He added: “In the last six years, Iran has always emphasized that a ceasefire must take place with humanitarian access and the lifting of the siege.”

“Saudi Arabia must end this unequal war as soon as possible because it will create better days for itself and the region,” he reiterated.

“The Yemeni people have the right to self-defense, but the only way to resolve the Yemeni issue is through dialogue and a political solution,” he said, “The Yemeni National Salvation Government has repeatedly emphasized this issue.”

Talking about Ansarullah Yemen’s attacks on Saudi oil facilities, he said: “The root of what is happening in Yemen is six-year aggression and blatant oppression of several million Yemenis. Today, blind bombings are taking place in different parts of Yemen.”

“What we see as the outbreak of this war has roots, and we must pay attention to these roots. As soon as Saudi Arabia ends the war and ends the siege, it will certainly help the implementation of the UN initiatives and diplomatic solutions.”

In response to a question as to whether Iran has been invited to a meeting on Afghanistan at the United Nations, he said “We have not yet received an invitation.”

Responding to question regarding the Irish Foreign Minister’s talks with Iranian officials and the fact that it is said that a positive pulse was sent by Iran to the United States during these meetings, he said: “The issue of Iran and the United States is not a pulse and signal but a matter of effective implementation of Resolution 2231. Such issues do not need to send a pulse.”

In response to a question about whether the Irish Foreign Minister during his visit to Tehran did not speak about the implementation of European JCPOA obligations, Khatibzadeh said “Europe has not done its homework.”

Asked if $3 billion had been allegedly released from Iranian assets in South Korea, he said: “We have not yet seen any practical action in this regard and today we are waiting for practical action from the South Korean government.”

In response to a question about some of the statements made by British officials about Nazanin Zaghari, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said: “The hypocritical remarks of the British former Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, do not cover his troublemaking remarks and acts in the past few years and he knows better if did not commit such destructive actions  what happened today would happen a few years ago.”

“No Direct or Indirect Contact With U.S.”

“The British government should be aware that the case of Iranians who were unjustly arrested in Britain without a court order and kept in the worst possible condition is still open in Iran,” he underscored.

Responding to a question about the U.S. Secretary of State’s claims that Iran was working to make its nuclear program more dangerous, Khatibzadeh said it is the U.S. who is driving the wrong side not Iran.

Considering the imposed sanctions on Iran by the U.S., he said “The United States must know that the Iranian people will never forget the crimes of the United States today. To date, the Biden administration has taken the same path as the Trump administration.”

“After the withdrawal of the United States from the JCPOA, Europe made 11 definite commitments to Iran, none of which were fulfilled,” he said, “Europe, along with the United States, has not lived up to many of its commitments to remove the anti-Iranian sanction.”

He underlined Iran’s support for diplomacy and diplomatic solutions, as well. “The Americans have not yet taken the first step, and the illegal sanctions have not been lifted, even on paper,” he said answering the question “If the United States announced today that it wanted to return to the UN Security Council and that negotiations were needed for its return, would Iran not accept the talks?”