Iran has denied reports it is in talks with the US over an interim nuclear deal to get sanctions relief.
“We confirm that there are no negotiations for an interim agreement or new agreements to replace the nuclear deal,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani told a news conference in Tehran on Monday.
He said, however, that the Islamic Republic is engaging with the US through intermediaries on the exchange of prisoners. The two could be “very close” to a deal if the Americans show “determination,” he said.
Then-US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from a nuclear pact called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2018, which led to tougher sanctions on Iran’s energy exports. Since then, Tehran has increased nuclear enrichment.
Oil prices fell briefly last week on reports, also denied by the US, that Washington and Tehran were close to a deal on Iran’s nuclear activities.
