Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Tuesday addressed negotiations with the US over the collapsed 2015 nuclear deal, telling reporters he shared concerns with US Vice President Kamala Harris through a third party when they were in Munich earlier this year.
Iran has repeatedly demanded guarantees that no future US president could unilaterally abandon the agreement, as former President Donald Trump did in 2018.
“I asked (an intermediary) to tell senior US officials who were in Munich, Ms Kamala Harris and US Secretary of State Mr (Antony) Blinken, why in talks, despite so much hard work done during the past months, you keep saying that whatever deal we agree on we can't guarantee that the next US administration would honour it,” Amirabdollahian said.
He added: “I told the minister (unidentified) to please tell Ms Kamala Harris: ‘If a group of rebels are going to take over the White House, could you please let us know?’ Even if a group of rebels take over, they must be committed to international agreements, based on international law. It is not acceptable, neither legally nor politically, for an incumbent administration to return to an agreement to say I can't offer any guarantee regarding what the next administration will do.”
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
The White House has said it cannot make such a commitment.
Talks to restore Tehran's tattered nuclear deal with world powers have hit a deadlock.
Hostilities have simmered as Iran accelerates its nuclear program far beyond the limits of the nuclear deal and last week seized two Greek tankers on a key oil route through the Gulf.
Read more:
Iran ramps up uranium enrichment while stalling probe
IAEA reports little progress in standoff with Iran, clash with West looms
Analysis: Subtle shift in US rhetoric suggests new Iran approach