Iran FM: Good agreement on JCPOA revival possible in short term if US, E3 serious about commitments

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says it is possible to reach a good agreement on the revival of the landmark 2015 Iran deal through Vienna talks, if the United States and the European signatories to the agreement are serious about returning to full compliance with their commitments as per the accord.

Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a Monday joint presser with his Irish counterpart, Simon Coveney, in Tehran, which took place following a meeting between the two foreign ministers earlier in the day.

Reflecting on the ongoing talks in the Austrian capital for the revival of the Iran deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran’s top diplomat said, “We are ready to reach a good agreement and do not welcome the Western side’s behavior, which is based on performing shows in the negotiations.”

“Instead of behaving [on the basis of] creating shock, instead of tampering with the text and instead of playing for time, the Western parties must demonstrate their true intention for returning to their full commitments under the JCPOA,” Amir-Abdollahian said.

“We believe that if the American side and the three European countries [that are signatories to the JCPOA] are serious about returning to the full implementation of their commitments as per the JCPOA, achieving a good agreement will be possible in short term.”

The top Iranian diplomat emphasized that the Islamic Republic will continue its efforts based on a powerful negotiation logic, adding, "Our goal is to secure the complete removal of the sanctions stipulated in the JCPOA and endorsed by the international community [through a UN Security Council resolution] in 2015."

He underscored the need for the removal of sanctions as soon as possible, saying if the participating delegates in the Vienna talks reached an agreement today that removed anti-Iran sanctions, this would better serve the Islamic Republic than an agreement tomorrow.

"Therefore, we are in a hurry to reach a good agreement, but within the framework of logical negotiations in order to ensure the rights and interests of the Iranian nation," he emphasized.

Iran resolved to reach ‘good, lasting, reliable’ agreement in Vienna: FM Amir-Abdollahian

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says Iran is firmly determined to reach a “good, lasting and reliable” agreement in Vienna with the five remaining parties to the 2015 deal.

In their messages, which are conveyed to Iran through certain countries and intermediaries, the Americans say they have goodwill to reach an agreement, but up to this moment, nothing has happened on the ground that could be translated into the practical goodwill that Americans claim [to have]," Iran's foreign minister said.

Iran’s foreign minister noted that Tehran believes a good agreement is achievable, saying, “We believe that practically positive and constructive initiatives and proposals offered by the Islamic Republic of Iran have already paved the way for the achievement of such an agreement.”

Elaborating on the probable time of the conclusion of the Vienna talks, Amir-Abdollahian said, "Threats and warnings from the opposite side will not determine the point at which the negotiations would end. Rather, the facts encountered at the negotiating table and the seriousness and diligence of the Western and American sides for returning to their commitments will determine the time at which the negotiations will end or a good agreement is reached."  

Former US president Donald Trump unilaterally left the JCPOA in May 2018 and re-imposed the anti-Iran sanctions that the deal had lifted. He also placed additional sanctions on Iran under other pretexts not related to the nuclear case as part of his “maximum pressure” campaign.

In May 2019, following a year of strategic patience, Iran decided to let go of some of the restrictions on its nuclear energy program, resorting to its legal rights under the JCPOA, which grants a party the right to suspend its contractual commitments in case of a non-performance by the other side.

The US administration of President Joe Biden says it is willing to compensate for Trump’s mistake and rejoin the deal, but it has retained the sanctions as leverage.

Envoys from Iran and the P4+1 group of countries — Britain, France, Russia, and China plus Germany — have been holding negotiations in the Austrian capital for 10 months in a bid to resurrect the JCPOA.

In a post published on his Twitter page on Monday, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani said whether Tehran and the P4+1 group of countries can reach a reliable agreement over the JCPOA depends on the US's political determination.

'Reliable' agreement at Vienna talks requires US political will: Top official

Iran’s top security official says whether Tehran and the P4+1 group of countries can reach a reliable agreement over the 2015 nuclear deal depends on the US

“Vienna negotiations have reached a stage, where the outcome can be declared certainly and without the need for guesswork,” the top Iranian security official added.

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