TEHRAN, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Thursday rejected a report by the U.S.-based news website Axios that the U.S. administration had given Tehran a proposal for a nuclear deal during the fourth round of indirect negotiations, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.
He made the remarks on the sidelines of his visit to the 36th Tehran International Book Fair in Iran's capital, just hours after Axios reported that U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff had presented a written proposal for a nuclear deal to the Iranian side during their fourth round of indirect negotiations in the Omani capital Muscat on Sunday.
Araghchi said, "We have so far received no written proposal or text (from the other side). However, it is possible that the Omani side would later convey something to us."
He noted that during the four rounds of negotiations, the Iranian delegation had "once or twice" submitted its positions in writing to the Omani side but had not received any documents in return.
Talking about the date and venue of the fifth round of negotiations, Araghchi said Oman would announce them.
The Iranian and U.S. delegations held the first and third rounds of their indirect talks on Tehran's nuclear program and the lifting of U.S. sanctions in Muscat on April 12 and 26, while the second round took place in Rome on April 19. ■
