Teheran taking Vienna talks seriously, Raisi says

TEHERAN－Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday that Teheran was serious in its nuclear talks in Vienna, as its top negotiator said important disagreements remained, state media reported.

"The fact that we presented the text of Iran's proposal to the negotiating parties shows that we are serious in the talks, and if the other side is also serious about the removal of (US) sanctions, we will achieve a good agreement," the state news agency IRNA quoted Raisi as saying.

On Sunday, the G7 said time was running out for Iran to agree a deal to curb its nuclear ambitions.

G7 host Britain said resumed talks in Vienna were the Islamic republic's "last chance to come to the negotiating table with a serious resolution".

An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said on Saturday: "In parallel with the Vienna talks to remove sanctions, we are also following the neutralization of sanctions."

He pointed to developing relations between Iran and neighboring states as a means to reduce the pressure of sanctions imposed by the United States.

A 20-year comprehensive cooperation agreement with Russia has almost been finalized, and necessary permission from the cabinet will be obtained to negotiate it, he said.

Earlier on Saturday, Raisi told Iranian diplomats that if the US lifts sanctions imposed on Iran, he was confident that a deal could be reached.

Raisi, who made the remarks at a meeting of ambassadors and heads of missions of Iran to the neighboring countries, said that "if the other side is determined to lift the sanctions, a good agreement will be reached, and we are looking for that".

Underlying his administration's policy for improving relations with the neighboring states, he said, Iran's neighborhood policy and relations with neighbors to counter and neutralize sanctions is a strategic move rather than a tactical one.

Sticking points

Iran's top negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, said on Saturday that several issues remained unresolved in the Vienna talks.

"Several points of difference have remained which require decision-making at the high level, and these are still on the table unresolved," Kani told state-run Press TV.

On Saturday, a top Iranian military official warned of a "heavy price" for aggressors, state media said, after a report of US and Israeli plans for possible military drills to prepare for strikes against Iran's nuclear sites if diplomacy fails.

Xinhua - Agencies