US State Department Rejects Any 'Direct' Negotiations with the Islamic Republic for 'Reviving the JCPOA'

The Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department commented on rumors regarding the resumption of negotiations to revive the JCPOA, stating: "We are not engaged in direct negotiations with Iran regarding the JCPOA, neither in New York nor anywhere else." Vedant Patel, on Tuesday, April 23, during his press conference, while rejecting 'direct negotiations' with the Islamic Republic, refrained from commenting on 'indirect negotiations' with the Iranian government regarding the so-called JCPOA revival talks. Some sources in the Iranian Supreme National Security Council recently announced that Iran received a letter from the US proposing to resume nuclear agreement negotiations, and if Tehran cooperates in limiting its nuclear activities, some of the US's economic and non-economic sanctions would be lifted. The Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department also responded to a question about the recent US report on human rights, particularly the threats against journalists, stating: "The Islamic Republic remains one of the largest exporters of terrorism and has shown since 1979 that it disregards freedom and continues to seriously suppress civil society, threaten media, and violate human rights." Vedant Patel added: "In light of these issues, we will continue to take steps to hold the Iranian regime accountable for its citizens and the violation of their fundamental rights." The US State Department announced in its annual report on Monday that the state of basic human rights in Iran, China, and Russia has significantly worsened over the past two years.