Source dismisses report Iran, U.S. have resumed nuclear negotiations

An informed source has dismissed a report that Iran and the U.S. have resumed negotiations on the July 2015 nuclear deal, IRNA reported on Friday.

The news comes a day after the Wall Street Journal claimed the Obama administration and its Western allies are pressing Iran to take steps to cut the amount of radioactive material it holds.

According to the WSJ, the measure is to "shore up last year’s nuclear deal and discourage the incoming Trump administration from abandoning it.”

"The discussions about reducing Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium started month ago, but have taken on new urgency since the election of President-elect Donald Trump created fresh uncertainty around the nuclear accord,” the officials said.

In his presidential campaign, Trump strongly criticized the nuclear deal which was reached between Iran and the P5+1 nations (U.S., France, the UK, Russia, China and Germany), saying he would renegotiate the agreement.

His victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election further raised international concerns over his campaign promises, including his reaction to the nuclear deal.

Under the deal, also known as the JCPOA, Iran agreed to limit aspects of its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. 

Iranian officials have on numerous occasions said the current U.S. administration has breached the nuclear deal multiple times.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that extension of U.S. sanctions on the Islamic Republic for another 10 years would surely be against the nuclear deal, warning that Tehran would retaliate if the sanctions are approved.