Iran’s main problem in negotiating with the United States is Washington’s “changing and contradictory positions”, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei tells CNN.

Speaking with the US broadcaster’s senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen in Tehran, Baghaei says the exchange of messages continues through Pakistani mediators.

“The main problem of negotiating with this administration is that you have to face so many changing positions, moving the goalposts, different statements, contradictory remarks by different officials, so it makes the whole process very cumbersome,” Baghaei says.

There are quite a number of sticking points, he adds, “but the main issue is that the Americans must understand that they have to recognise Iran’s rights,” including its right to peaceful nuclear enrichment under the international non-proliferation treaty.

“At the same time, when they are talking about our blocked assets they’re not going to give us any concession,” Baghaei says.

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