French President Emmanuel Macron said the current draft text on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal is “useful and better than no agreement” if it is concluded in the terms presented today.
“We have been very careful to ensure the balance of a serious accord has been met,” he told reporters during a visit to Algeria, Reuters reported.
Negotiations have been underway for more than a year in Vienna, Austria, to restore the 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which restricted Tehran’s nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief.
The US pulled out of the agreement four years ago and reimposed tough sanctions that prompted Iran to react by scaling back its commitments.
The talks were stalled for months before the European Union coordinator put forward an initiative early this month to break the impasse.
Iran responded last week with “additional views and considerations” while calling on the United States to show flexibility to resolve the remaining issues.
Washington submitted its response to the draft and Iran’s comments on Wednesday, which is now being reviewed in Tehran.
Macron contended that “the ball is now in Iran’s court.”
Tehran demands a full and verifiable removal of sanctions, as well as guarantees for compensation if a future US government ever wishes to quit the deal again.
Iran also wants the conclusion of investigation by the International Atomic Energy Agency into nuclear material allegedly found on old undeclared sites.
Western countries argue that the issue is separate from JCPOA talks and pushed for an anti-Iran resolution which was passed in June by the IAEA Board of Governors.
The EU draft suggests that Iran address the IAEA’s concerns before the pact takes effect on the “Reimplementation Day”, which would be around one to three months after a basic agreement is reached in Vienna.
The US and the other parties in the talks would, in return, urge the IAEA Board of Governors to close the investigation and nullify the June resolution.
US officials had earlier said that Washington was not going to put any pressure on the IAEA to close the outstanding issues, saying the case will be closed when Iran provides the technically credible answers that the agency has requested.
Macron, who held talks on Thursday with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, also said Paris would back the agency to ensure outstanding issues were not impacted by political pressure.
Mixed Signals
While expectations of a breakthrough grew as both Iran and the US responded to the EU proposal, Bloomberg has cited officials familiar with talks as saying that the two sides may need “several weeks” to resolve their differences.
One senior European official said the sides have never been closer to rebooting their 2015 accord, echoing earlier comments by a top Biden administration adviser.
Yet two other officials with knowledge of the negotiations said clashes continue over international monitors’ investigation into the Islamic Republic’s past nuclear work, and economic indemnities demanded by Tehran if a future US government exits the agreement, as then-president Donald Trump did four years ago.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson acknowledged that gaps remain in the talks and said the US is continuing to negotiate.
The spokesperson said Iran needs to answer the IAEA’s questions and the US is unbending in its support of the agency’s independence.
Grossi suggested this week during an interview on PBS that a resolution to the investigation is possible.
“We are going to get there,” said the Argentine diplomat, adding that reviving the nuclear accord will allow IAEA monitors to resume expansive surveillance and snap inspections.
