Iran calls for a “realistic” US response to revive the nuclear deal

Iran’s foreign minister called on Saturday for a “realistic response” to Iran’s proposals at indirect talks in Vienna aimed at reviving Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, state media reported.

The comments came as talks continued into a third day on Saturday and little was expected of a decisive compromise as Tehran’s disputed uranium enrichment program progresses.

State media reported that “Hossein Amirabad Allahian stressed the need for a realistic US response to Iran’s constructive proposals on various issues in order for the deal to succeed,” without providing details of the proposals.

Little remains of the 2015 agreement between Iran and the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China, which lifted sanctions on Tehran in exchange for curbs on Iranian enrichment activities that the West fears could produce atomic bombs.

In 2018, then-US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement and reimposed harsh sanctions. In response, Tehran, which says its nuclear program is for power generation and other peaceful purposes, has breached the treaty in several ways, including by replenishing enriched uranium stocks.

Iranian media have indicated that the sticking point in talks to revive the agreement may be Iran’s refusal to address the alleged unexplained effects of uranium as required by the International Atomic Energy Agency, with Tehran insisting that the deal freed its nuclear program of potential military weapons. dimensions.

In June, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors passed a resolution criticizing Iran for failing to explain traces of uranium found at undisclosed sites. However, a senior Iranian presidential adviser said Tehran requested that the matter be closed before agreeing to resume compliance with the deal.

“In all the phone calls that (President Ibrahim) Raisi has had with the presidents of France, Russia and China, his consistent position has been that a final agreement can only be reached after the safeguards claims are resolved and closed,” the report was quoted as saying. Saturday to the deputy head of the main office of official media.

The European parties to the deal on Friday called on Iran “not to make unrealistic demands outside the scope of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the nuclear deal), including IAEA safeguards.” “The text is on the table. There will be no resumption of negotiations. Iran must now decide to conclude the agreement while it is still possible,” a European statement said.

Indirect talks between Tehran and Washington resumed in Vienna on Thursday with a meeting between the Islamic Republic’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani and European Union coordinator Enrique Mora.

Reuters, citing an Iranian and European official, reported in June that Tehran had removed a major obstacle: its demand to remove the Revolutionary Guards from the US sanctions list.

A senior Iranian official indicated that the issue might become less difficult, telling Reuters on Thursday, “We have our own suggestions that will be discussed in the Vienna talks, such as the gradual lifting of sanctions on the Revolutionary Guards.” (Dubai Reporter Reporting, Editing by Manuel Farias in Spanish)