Time for Decision on JCPOA Revival

The European Union coordinator of the 2015 nuclear deal said the time for decision on a return to full implementation of the agreement is “now”. 
“The basic elements and terms to do this are known and on the table,” Josep Borrell said in an address to the United Nations Security Council on Thursday, according to the website of the European External Action Service. 
The nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, offered sanctions relief to Iran in return for curbs on its nuclear program, but the United States quit the agreement in 2018 and reimposed tough sanctions on Tehran, prompting it to respond by scaling down its commitments. 
Negotiations began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria, to work out how both sides could resume compliance, but the talks have been stalled for months over a few outstanding differences. 
“I am in permanent contact with all the parties to try arrange a return to the JCPOA and ensure its full implementation,” Borrell said. 
The prospects of reviving the accord, however, have been damaged recently following an anti-Iran resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors which rebuked Iran for failing to give credible answers about certain safeguards issues. 
The document was put forward by the US, France, Germany and Britain and was passed despite opposition by Russia and China. 
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Washington’s purpose of submitting the resolution was to win more political concessions out of Iran at the Vienna negotiating table. 
“Our reciprocal measure in response to the US unconstructive behavior at the IAEA was to increase our peaceful nuclear activity,” he said in a phone conversation with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein on Thursday.
Iran further advanced its nuclear activity and reduced its cooperation with the agency as far as it concerned voluntary operations beyond original safeguards operations.  

Bullying Behavior 

Amir-Abdollahian said the Islamic Republic has always invited the west to the course of diplomacy and even put forward a political initiative to carry on the talks until a final agreement a few days before the IAEA board meeting. 
“We believe that diplomacy is the best means of reaching a good, strong and lasting agreement, but against bullying behavior, our reaction would be from a position of power,” he said. 
Washington also accuses Iran of making extraneous demands which go beyond the purview of the original deal.
“We still believe there is the potential to conclude a mutual return to compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, if Iran were to set aside issues that are extraneous to the JCPOA and to focus on the contours of the agreement that have been on the table for some time now,” US State Department Spokesman Ned Price said at a press briefing on Thursday. 
He added that a mutual return to compliance continues to be in the national security interest of the US and its international allies and partners, but that will not always be the case.
“It won’t always be the case precisely because Iran is continuing to take steps that would be otherwise prohibited under the JCPOA,” he said.
“There is a deadline. The deadline is the day upon which the benefits of returning to the JCPOA are outweighed and outgained by the advancements that Iran continues to make in its nuclear program.”
Despite the stalemate, neither side seems willing to announce a failure of talks.