Boma Achenimie 
Iran has strongly criticised the United States (US) Government for imposing fresh sanctions on its energy sector, saying the move contradicts Washington’s commitment to dialogue and undermines ongoing nuclear negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei who spoke on Wednesday at a press briefing, said the sanctions revealed a “Lack of goodwill and seriousness” from the U.S. in pursuing a diplomatic resolution to the long-running nuclear dispute.
“The continued imposition of sanctions against various economic sectors of Iran is in clear contradiction with the U.S. claim for dialogue and negotiation,” Baghaei stated. “This indicates the lack of goodwill and seriousness of the U.S. in this regard.”
READ ALSO:
- Iran’s Foreign Minister Sets To Visit China — Beijing
- Eight Pakistanis Killed In Southeastern Iran
- US In Direct Nuclear Talks With Iran, Trump Says
The latest round of sanctions, announced Tuesday by the U.S. Treasury Department, specifically targets Iran’s liquefied petroleum gas exports.
The measures align with the framework of former President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign, which aimed to reduce Iranian oil exports to zero following Washington’s 2018 withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The comments come just days ahead of scheduled high-level and expert-level negotiations between Iran and the U.S., to be held this Saturday in Oman.
The talks aim to establish a framework for reviving or reshaping a potential agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, which has remained a point of contention for over two decades.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, currently visiting Beijing, echoed a cautiously hopeful tone following his meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang.
“It is too early to judge the outcome of the Iran-U.S. talks,” Araqchi told Iranian state media. “But we are cautiously optimistic, and if the Americans continue to stay constructive and avoid any unrealistic, undoable demands, I am confident we can conclude a good deal at the end.”
China, a key stakeholder in the original JCPOA and a longstanding ally of Tehran, has reiterated its support for a peaceful resolution and the restoration of multilateral commitments.
The latest developments highlight the delicate balance negotiators must strike as diplomatic channels reopen amid continued economic and political pressure.
While both sides express a willingness to engage, actions such as the imposition of new sanctions threaten to derail momentum before any substantial progress is achieved.
The outcome of the upcoming meeting in Oman is expected to set the tone for subsequent engagements and could signal whether a new accord is possible or whether entrenched hostilities will continue to define U.S.-Iran relations.
