Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday the latest talks with the United States saw them agree on ‘a set of guiding principles’ that would pave the way for a deal.
‘Ultimately, we were able to reach broad agreement on a set of guiding principles, based on which we will move forward and begin working on the text of a potential agreement,’ Araghchi told state TV.
‘I can say that, compared with the previous round, fully serious discussions were raised and the atmosphere was more constructive,’ he added.
Tehran and Washington held on Tuesday a second round of negotiations — which began earlier this month — after talks last year collapsed following Israel’s attack on Iran in June, which triggered a 12-day war.
That war saw the United States briefly join Israel with strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites.
The latest talks were held after Washington deployed an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East following Iran’s deadly crackdown last month on anti-government protests, first sparked by economic hardships.
During the interview with state TV, Araghchi said the two sides have begun a path towards an agreement, but noted that ‘this does not mean we can reach a deal quickly’.
‘We hope this process can be completed as soon as possible and we are ready to devote sufficient time to it,’ he added.
He acknowledged that it ‘will take time to narrow’ the gap between the positions of both sides, ‘but at least we now have a set of guiding principles and a clearer path to move forward on’.
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities on Tuesday held a commemoration ceremony in Tehran for thousands of people killed during the recent unrest that followed nationwide protests over the rising cost of living.
The memorial, held at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla mosque, marked the 40th day since the deaths, in line with Shia mourning tradition.
Crowds carried Iranian flags and portraits of those killed as nationalist songs played and chants of ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’ echoed through the venue.
Protests erupted in late December before expanding into nationwide anti-government demonstrations that peaked on January 8 and 9.
Tehran has acknowledged that more than 3,000 people died during the unrest, including members of the security forces and bystanders, attributing the violence to ‘terrorist acts.’
Authorities say the protests began peacefully before turning into ‘foreign-instigated riots’ involving killings and vandalism, which they blamed on the United States and Israel.
International organisations have put the toll far higher. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says more than 7,000 people were killed, most of them protesters.
Senior officials, including first vice president Mohammad Reza Aref and Revolutionary Guards commander Esmail Qaani, attended the ceremony.
‘Those who supported rioters and terrorists are criminals and will face the consequences,’ Qaani said, according to Tasnim news agency.
On Friday, Iran said it had established a fact-finding committee to investigate the unrest, while authorities pledged swift trials for those involved in the violence.
