Nuclear Talks Must Not Be Tied to Irrelevant Issues

Negotiations on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal must not be tied to irrelevant issues, including Iran’s missiles activities which are defensive and in compliance with the country’s legal rights and international norms and regulations, a senior Iranian diplomat said. 
“[The missiles program] does not and will not have any relation with subjects of discussion between Iran and western parties in talks [to restore the nuclear deal],” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said at a regular press briefing on Monday, ISNA reported. 
The remarks came in reference to France’s call for stronger international response to what it called the threat posed by Iran’s ballistic missiles program. 
Kanaani said such statements would not help address problems and misunderstandings between Iran and Europe.
“Raising irrelevant subjects are aimed at diverting focus from the fundamental issues,” he said. 
The 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, curbed Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief, but unraveled when the United States withdrew and reimposed tough sanctions that prompted Tehran to row back on its commitments. 
Negotiations have been underway since early 2021 to work out how both sides can resume compliance, but have been stalled for months over final differences. 
Iran blames western parties for their lack of will to conclude the talks, accusing them of raising new unrelated issues to change the course of the talks. 
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has recently urged stronger response to what she called Iran’s destabilizing activities in a phone conversation with her American counterpart. 
She also mentioned “the increasing threat posed by the increase of its ballistic missiles arsenal and the proliferation of missiles including toward non-state actors,” according to the French Foreign Ministry. 
The West has also alleged that Iran is supplying arms to Russia for its war on Ukraine, which Tehran categorically denies. 
Kanaani said Iran’s declared policy is commitment to the course of negotiations to bring all sides back to compliance with the JCPOA, with specific focus on the removal of cruel sanctions. 
“We have moved in the course of talks and carried out what was related to our part with good will,” he said, hoping that the other parties would do the same. 

Clearing Misunderstandings 

Kanaani later censured European countries for their wrong policies toward Iran in recent months, saying they did not adhere to internationally recognized principles of foreign relations, including mutual respect, non-interference in each other’s domestic affairs, avoiding the use of force and hosting opponent groups. 
“Europe must make a correct decision and stand at the right side of history,” he said. 
European countries have been taking harsh stances against the Islamic Republic over what they claim was a crackdown on protesters following the death of a young girl in police custody in September. 
The European Union, along with the US and Britain, introduced new sets of sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities.
The EU and Britain also threatened to join the US in blacklisting the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps as “a terrorist organization.”
Tehran accused western media for provoking violence among rioters to destabilize the country. 
“The European Union must show in practice that it sticks with international principles … and seeks mutual relations and has the courage to make decisions about Iran independently,” Kanaani said. 
He added that Tehran has expressed readiness to clear any misunderstandings and is now awaiting the EU’s reaction. 
Kanaani also criticized Europe for suspending its financial mechanism for trade with Iran, known as INSTEX (Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges). 
“This is part of the European governments’ lack of commitment to their obligations to compensate for the US illegal and unilateral exit form the JCPOA and it turned out that they did not take the required measures in practice,” he said. 
INSTEX was established in January 2019 by the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, which later came to include the governments of Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, Spain, Sweden and Norway.
The purpose was to facilitate trade with Iran in view of US sanctions, but the INSTEX board took the decision to liquidate the company in late January, against a backdrop of tensions between the Islamic Republic and Europe.