France Calls for Using Window of Diplomacy to Revive JCPOA 

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said the window for diplomacy on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal is still open and must be used in the most appropriate manner so that a deal can reached.  
“Striking a deal is better than not having one,” she said in a phone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Monday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry reported on its website.
She called for continuation of talks, stressing that this opportunity for dialogue must be used to draw a conclusion agreed by all sides. 
The nuclear deal, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was signed between Iran and the six world powers and promised sanctions relief to Tehran in return for curbs on its nuclear activity. 
The United States pulled out in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions that prompted Tehran to row back on its commitments in response. 
Negotiations began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria, to work out how both sides can resume compliance, but reached an impasse in March over few bilateral issues. 
The European Union as coordinator of JCPOA arranged indirect negotiations between the two in Doha, Qatar, so that they can settle their differences. 

Political Initiatives 

The first round of Doha talks ended on June 29 with less progress than expected, although Iranian officials described it as positive. 
“We assess the recent talks as positive, but one has to see how the American side intends to use this opportunity for diplomacy,” Amir-Abdollahian said in the phone call. 
He added that Iran has always put forward positive ideas and proposals throughout the course of negotiations, while the US attended Doha talks with no initiative or an approach in favor of progress. 
“Repeating previous positions must not replace political initiatives,” he said. 
The top diplomat underlined that the course of diplomacy is open and Iran is serious and honest in its intention to reach the final stage and achieve a good and lasting agreement. 
Tehran blames the US for the lack of progress in Doha by failing to provide guarantees for Iran’s full and continued benefit from the JCPOA.
Washington, however, accuses Iran of raising issues that were either outside the scope of the JCPOA, or already debated and resolved. 
While Iran has expressed readiness to engage constructively in future stages of proximity negotiations, US officials say chances of reviving the JCPOA are worse after Doha talks and will be getting worse by the day.
Among absent parties in Doha, France also censured Iran for allegedly not taking up the offer on the table and adding yet more issues which fall outside the JCPOA with “maximalist and unrealistic demands.” 
Together with other European parties to JCPOA, namely Britain and Germany, it issued a statement urging Tehran to “take this opportunity to conclude the deal, while it is still possible.” 
Iranian officials maintain that the ball is in the US court and an agreement is not out of reach if Washington acts realistically and shows serious intention to implement its obligations.
Russia called on all sides to show flexibility and focus on compromise, warning that increased pressure on Iran could fully invalidate prospects for reviving the deal. 
China also urged the US to correct its mistake and lift all relevant unilateral sanctions against Iran so that it can fully enjoy the economic benefits of the JCPOA.