Vienna Talks Made Considerable Progress Over Past Few Weeks

Negotiations in Vienna, Austria, on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal have made considerable progress over the past three weeks before diplomats returned to their capitals for instructions and consultations, said an Iranian senior diplomat.  
“There has been progress in all four areas of sanctions lifting, nuclear commitments, verification and guarantees,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said at a regular press conference on Monday, ISNA reported. 
He added, however, that the progress has been more significant and faster in some areas and slower in others due to the other sides’ inaction, failure to obtain the required assurances and lack of creativity and initiative.  
“We call on these countries to return from their capitals to Vienna with the necessary decisions so that what has been mentioned in the drafts can be implemented,” he said. 
Talks in the Austrian capital, which are underway since April 2021, aim to work out how the United States, who unilaterally quit the agreement and reimposed sanctions on Tehran in 2018, and Iran, who scaled down its commitments in response, can resume compliance with the deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 
The process is in its eighth, and so far the longest, round but key differences still remain. The talks took a break on Friday and negotiators headed back to their home countries for consultations with their respective governments until next week.
The European Union coordinator of the talks, Enrique Mora, said at the time that “political decisions are needed now.”
Khatibzadeh said the Islamic Republic has creatively put forward initiatives in written form and is awaiting the other sides’ response. 
“If the other sides, especially the Americans, have taken their decisions upon return to Vienna, recognize Iran’s inalienable rights and avoid demands beyond the JCPOA, … , a lasting, good and reliable agreement can be reached swiftly,” he said. 
Important issues still remain unresolved regarding the removal of American sanctions, according to the diplomat, while the US must also provide assurances that it would not mock international law again like in the past years. 
“Americans must guarantee that …. they will prepare the ground for Iran to enjoy the economic benefits of the JCPOA,” he said, regretting the US and Europe’s unacceptable performance regarding the nuclear deal over the past years. 

Indirect Communication 

Iran’s stances were once again communicated in a Saturday phone conversation between the Iranian and French presidents, Khatibzadeh said. 
“The two sides exchanged views on certain subjects and we hope the results of these consultations and dialogues will be seen in the coming days in Vienna,” he said. 
The spokesman dismissed speculations about Qatar’s role of carrying messages between Iran and the US, saying communication between the two countries happens through its own specific methods. 
“Just as we refuse to discuss regional issues with non-regional countries, we also pursue issues regarding the Vienna negotiations within its own legal frameworks only,” he said. 
Iran refuses to talk directly with the US, but has recently declared that it would not disregard this option if a good agreement is within reach and requires such level of contact. 
Khatibzadeh said this form of communication is a method that has been chosen based on the behavior of the other side. 
“The non-paper correspondence between Iran and the US through the EU coordinator has been a path taken up until today and dialogue will continue to be held through the same means for as long as needed,” he said.