Story highlights
A venue had not been set for the talks
World leaders had been urging Iran to return to talks
Iran has been slapped with fresh sanctions for its recalcitrance
Stalled talks between Iran and world leaders over its nuclear ambitions will resume April 13 at a yet-undetermined venue, the country’s state-run media reported Wednesday.
The announcement, by Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, comes amid growing pressure from world powers over Iran’s controversial nuclear program.
Salehi made the announcement Wednesday at a ceremony welcoming Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Tehran, the IRNA news agency reported.
A venue had not been set for the talks but Istanbul has offered to host, Salehi told the news agency.
The United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany – the group collectively known as P5 plus 1 – have been urging Iran to recommit to nuclear talks.
A nuclear watchdog agency report in November said Iran could potentially be developing a bomb. But Tehran has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.
For its recalcitrance, Iran was slapped with fresh sanctions by the United States and the European Union.
Israel has even hinted at pre-emptive strikes on Iranian nuclear plants.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi said the U.S. and EU sanctions has not had an effect on the country’s oil sector and that it had set a record in building gas refineries despite them.