Mora’s Trip Shows Nuclear Talks Are on Right Track

The scheduled visit by the European Union coordinator of talks on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, Enrique Mora, indicates that negotiations have been moving in the right direction, according to a senior diplomat. 
“It shows that Iran and the P4+1 have been committed to a diplomatic path to reach a good, lasting and reliable agreement, despite occasional undiplomatic measures by the United States” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a regular press briefing on Monday, ISNA reported. 
Indirect negotiations have been underway in the Austrian capital Vienna since April 2021 between Iran and the US to work out how both sides can resume compliance with the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The JCPOA went out of shape when Washington pulled out in 2018 and reimposed tough sanctions that prompted Tehran to row back on commitments. 
Vienna talks have now been halted for more than a month over a few remaining differences, but the EU coordinator is set to visit Tehran on Tuesday to find ways out of the impasse.
Khatibzadeh said the exchange of messages has been underway although representatives were not present in Vienna, adding that what has been at pause concerns the decisions that Washington must make. 
“On the few outstanding issues, the US must answer and make the required political decisions,” he said. “I do not call it a deadlock; we think Washington’s decision could simply enable an agreement in Vienna.” 
Among the sticking points is Iran’s demand for the removal of its Islamic Revolution Guards Corps from the list of terrorist organizations which the US refuses to entertain, arguing that it is not JCPOA-related. 
Iran maintains that the designation is an element of the so-called maximum pressure campaign and must therefore be revoked. 
“We will not let a component of the maximum pressure, which was initiated by the former US administration to jeopardize all of Iran’s economic interests and ruin chances of diplomacy, remain in place,” Khatibzadeh said.  
He also told reporters to avoid diminishing the issue between Tehran and Washington over the US verifiable return to the JCPOA to one single case such as the IRGC. 
“Secondly, beware not to be trapped in a blame game by oversimplification of matters,” he said.