A member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission warned that extensions of negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program should not be allowed to be used as an instrument by the other side to buy time and retain sanctions frustrating efforts to achieve favorable results.
Mohammad Hassan Asafari described extensions of negotiations as a "double-edged sword," saying although reaching a good deal is more important than meeting a deadline, the continuation of negotiations without clinching an accord can be considered a disadvantage for the nation because it causes the sanctions to remain in place for a longer time, ICANA reported on Saturday.
Pointing to a new round of talks which started on June 17 in Vienna before a deadline of June 30 for a final settlement to the long-running nuclear dispute, he said, "We should not sacrifice our genuine and legal demands for a good deal for time constraints."
He also noted that in a situation that the country has been engaged in negotiations on the nuclear deal for over ten years, one or two extra months will not cause a serious problem, but if negotiations are to be extended frequently, they can block the country's progress in the nuclear field, leading to a waste of time and the loss of opportunities.
The lawmaker said Iran has managed to gain the trust of the international community in the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, adding that it is now the other side's turn to stop its propaganda campaign against Iran's nuclear work and address Tehran's demands.
Deputy Foreign Ministers Abbas Araqchi and Majid Takht-Ravanchi joined nuclear talks in Vienna last Wednesday with the aim of helping efforts to complete the text of the nuclear deal.
