Tehran denies negotiating directly with America

TEHRAN, Feb. 22 (YPA) – Iranian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Saeed Khatibzade on Monday denied that direct negotiations were held between his country and the United States.

The official Iranian News Agency (IRNA) quoted Khatibzade as saying: “The news of the negotiations as announced is not true, and no direct negotiations took place between the two sides.”

He added that one of his country’s priorities is to pursue the release of Iranian prisoners in the United States, who are often held without explicit crimes.

The spokesman explained, “Messages have been received from the new American government through the Swiss embassy, in its capacity as the custodian of American interests, and some foreign ministers of other countries to announce their readiness to follow up on this issue.”

On Sunday, the US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan announced that “President Joe Biden’s administration is in contact with Iran to demand the release of Americans detained in the Islamic Republic,” an issue that may help define future relations between the two countries.

YPA