The US expressed concern about Iran’s pledge to return to an international nuclear deal that will lift international sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities and international inspections.
In Vienna, talks are underway between signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 deal negotiated under former President Obama. Former President Trump
Donald Trump: Romney Scraps End of Filibuster, Expansion of SCOTUS McConnell, GOP Condemns Biden’s Executive Command Over SCOTUS US Raises Concerns About Iran’s Seriousness in Nuclear Talks MORE removed the US from the deal, and Iran later resumed uranium enrichment.
While Iran is participating in the indirect talks with JCPOA participants – namely European, Chinese and Russian interlocutors – it has turned down offers for direct communication with the US.
This has made the talks “slower” and “more complicated,” a senior US official said in a briefing with reporters on Friday, saying Iran’s seriousness was at stake.
“It remains to be seen whether the seriousness of the goal and intention to return to compliance, as shown by the US, will be answered by Iran,” the official said.
“We’ve seen some signs of it, but by no means enough, and there are still questions about whether Iran is willing to do whatever it takes,” to return to compliance with the deal.
President Biden
Joe BidenBiden Taps California Workplace Safety Leader to Lead OSHA Romney Blasts End of Filibuster, SCOTUS US Expansion Considers Cash Payments to Help Curb Migration MORE has said his determination to rejoin the JCPOA.
The US negotiating team in Vienna is led by Iran’s Special Envoy Robert Malley, and talks got underway on Tuesday.
The US proposes that Iran, which has violated the terms of the agreement regarding nuclear activities and restrictions on international inspections, take its own steps to re-enforce the agreement.
The talks in Vienna are aimed at finding a solution for “mutual compliance”. Still, Iranian officials insist that the US take the first step by verifying that the sanctions are lifted.
The senior foreign ministry official called this demand from Tehran unclear about what verified sanction lifting means in practice, citing it as an example of the difficulty of indirect talks.
“We think it would be better if we could sit down with the Iranians,” the official said. “We’re not going to pay a price for that and so if they don’t want to meet us, it’s a shame … it’s just going to be a lot harder for them to get what they say they want, which is a mutual return to compliance.”
The official called the talks “the first step in the first phase” of a possible return to the JCPOA. Talks are expected to resume next week in Vienna.
The European Union, which is chairing talks between the JCPOA signatories, said in a statement Friday that all participants stressed their commitment to preserving the nuclear deal and “discussed modalities to ensure a return to its full and effective implementation.”
A previous statement noted that the discussions were “constructive and result-oriented exchanges”.