Nuclear Deal Must Uphold Iran’s Rights

A final agreement on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal must uphold the rights and interests of the Iranian nation and guarantee effective and lasting removal of sanctions, Iran’s top diplomat said.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a phone conversation with the European Union coordinator of the nuclear deal, Josep Borrell, on Monday, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
The 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, promised sanctions relief to Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear program, but the United States pulled out four years ago an reimposed sweeping sanctions which prompted Tehran to scale down its commitments in response. 
Negotiations have been underway in Vienna, Austria, for over a year to work out how both sides can resume compliance. 
The talks had been stalled since March, until the EU put forward a new initiative last week, making way for the return of negotiators to Vienna to resume the talks on Thursday. 
“The Iranian negotiating delegation were in Vienna with determination and seriousness to reach an agreement and presented constructive ideas for the settlement of the remaining issues,” Amir-Abdollahian said. 
He added that all parties are expected to show determination and seriousness to reach a final draft text of a deal. 
The foreign minister expressed hope that realism and avoiding unconstructive positions, especially on the part of the US, would pave the way for an agreement. 
Borrell said the recent round of talks saw relative progress and his assessment was positive. 
“As coordinator, we will continue our efforts to reconcile positions until a good outcome for all sides is achieved,” he said. 
A senior official with the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Iran shared its positions with the other sides during four days of indirect talks and there was progress in certain areas. 
“Without a doubt, the basic principle for us is protecting the rights and interests of the Iranian nation,” the official was quoted as saying by ISNA.
Upholding these rights and interests, assurances for continued implementation of commitments by the other side and preventing the repetition of US illegal behavior are among the key concerns of the Iranian team, according to the official. 

No Final Text

The new round of talks wrapped up on Monday and participants returned to their countries on Monday for further consultations with capitals. 
The European Union said it put forward a “final” text to revive the JCPOA, although Iran refuses to accept the proposal as final.
“What can be negotiated has been negotiated, and it’s now in a final text. However, behind every technical issue and every paragraph lies a political decision that needs to be taken in the capitals,” Borrell tweeted.
“If these answers are positive, then we can sign this deal,” he added.
Iran argues that the EU, in its capacity as coordinator, lacks the authority to present its proposals as the final text, since any decision in this regard is upon the negotiating parties to make. 
Washington said it was ready to quickly reach an agreement to revive the deal on the basis of the EU proposals, but Iranian officials say they would convey their views later after consultations in Tehran. 
“We have shared out initial responses … but these ideas certainly need comprehensive review, after which we will convey our complementary views and considerations to the coordinator and other sides,” the Foreign Ministry official said. 
Tehran says western media’s insistence on a final draft is a coordinated approach aimed at putting the Islamic Republic under pressure to accept a text that has been agreed between the US and the EU. 

Parallel Talks 

Iran demands a complete removal of US sanctions plus guarantees that no future US president would renege on the deal if it were revived.
The administration of President Joe Biden says it cannot provide such ironclad assurance because the deal is a political understanding rather than a legally binding treaty.
Tehran also wants its safeguards case with the International Atomic Energy Agency closed, arguing that no issue that could be used as a means of pressure against the country in the future must remain unresolved. 
The IAEA had raised questions about nuclear particles allegedly found at several undeclared old sites in Iran in contravention of its safeguards obligations. 
Based on an agreement in March to close this case for good, Iran provided answers to the IAEA on the matter, but the director general said the information were not credible and did not address all of the agency’s questions. 
Representatives of the US, France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China also held parallel talks in Vienna over the course of this round to negotiate an updated proposal on how to resolve the IAEA safeguards issue.
“According to one senior Western official, the deal will see the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors pass a resolution closing the probe into the nuclear material, if Tehran provides answers on the origin of the uranium traces that are deemed credible by the IAEA,” Politico reported.