Vienna Talks to Resume Soon

The eighth round of negotiations on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal is expected to resume later this week, according to a spokesman for the European Union foreign policy service. 
“Talks should restart in the course of this week and we will issue a statement in due time,” Peter Stano said in a press conference in Brussels on Thursday, IRNA reported.  
Negotiations in the Austrian capital Vienna aim to work out how the United States and Iran can return to their commitments under the landmark deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which lifted sanctions on Tehran in return for restrictions on its nuclear program. 
The US quit the JCPOA and brought back the sanctions, prompting Iranian leaders to react by rolling back nuclear commitments. 
Tehran now demands a verifiable removal of all sanctions before reversing its nuclear steps, along with guarantees that no future US government would violate the deal again. 
The Vienna talks started in April with the mediation of other parties and are in their eighth now. 
“Negotiations took a break last week and participants headed for their capitals for important consultations and receiving vital political instructions,” said Stano, who speaks for the EU coordinator of the JCPOA Joint Commission, Josep Borrell.  
He added that when all negotiators come to an agreement “on all areas”, the JCPOA Joint Commission and later a ministerial meeting will be held. 

Final Phase 

The eighth round has been the longest of all, with parties to the deal being on the negotiation table since late December.
A French foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday that considering the timetable, negotiations are entering the final phase and political decisions are needed now. 
“This is why the negotiators returned to their respective capitals for brief consultations,” the spokesperson said. 
US special envoy for Iran Robert Malley said on Twitter that “as negotiations reach a conclusion in the coming weeks, we will continue to consult closely with our regional partners.”
He said he had “good conversation” on Friday with representatives from the (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council, Egypt, and Jordan about our ongoing negotiations on JCPOA revival. 
Tehran refuses to accept any deadline, saying it would negotiate for as long as needed to uphold the rights of the Iranian nation.
Iran’s top negotiator Ali Baqeri Kani told the parliament in a briefing this week that despite the positive and forward progress of the talks, key issues are yet to be negotiated and agreed upon.
“It is the Islamic Republic’s right to have all the sanctions removed, but so far, the other side has agreed to the lifting of part of the bans,” a lawmaker quoted him as saying.  
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh also said this week that progress has been slower in some areas due to the other sides’ inaction and lack of creativity and initiative.  
He called on these countries to return to Vienna with the necessary decisions so that what has been mentioned in the drafts can be implemented.
The diplomat said a lasting and reliable agreement can be reached swiftly if the other sides recognize Iran’s inalienable rights and avoid demands beyond the JCPOA.   
US State Department Spokesman Ned Price said in a press conference on Thursday that the focus of the Vienna talks is Iran’s nuclear activities only. 
“What we’re focused on in Vienna is … seeing if we can bring about once again a nuclear deal that imposes permanent and verifiable limits on Iran’s nuclear program.”
That window, however, is very short, according to him. 
“Precisely because once Iran reaches the point where its nuclear advances have obviated the nonproliferation benefits that the JCPOA conveyed, … it will no longer make sense, … to pursue a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA and we’ll have to pursue another course,” he said.