Tehran said that our goal is to completely remove all JCPOA restrictions. (file)
Tehran:
Iran said on Monday that a deal was “at hand” with world powers to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, but stressed that sanctions were “actually lifted” through ongoing talks in Vienna.
After months of talks, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell added to hopes of a renewed deal.
“I firmly believe an agreement is being reached,” he said on Twitter after a call with Iran’s foreign minister.
In his dual capacity as coordinator of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the 2015 agreement between Iran and world powers, Borrell said, “the moment has come to make a final effort and reach a compromise.”
But Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, receiving Irish Foreign and Defense Minister Simon Coveney on Monday, said “sanctions really should be lifted” in the ongoing talks to revive the deal in the Austrian capital.
“The rights of the Iranian people must be respected,” he said.
The talks involve Iran, Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia directly and the United States indirectly.
The 2015 deal offered Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for sanctions on its nuclear program, but the US unilaterally withdrew in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump and reimposed harsh economic sanctions, allowing Tehran to Started rolling back on his commitments.
– ‘Serious and committed’ –
According to state news agency IRNA, Raisi lauded Ireland’s “independence from the United States and some European countries”, adding that the two countries have “huge potential” to strengthen ties.
Ireland occupies a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council this year, and did so last year. It is serving as a facilitator for Resolution 2231, which was agreed to support the JCPOA in 2015.
Also on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdullahian said he believed a revived deal is “at hand”, provided the US and European sides are “serious” about returning to full compliance with the deal. be.
Coveney said he believes the Western side to the 2015 deal is “deeply committed to making this work,” addressing reporters alongside his Iranian counterpart.
“I discussed with Iranian counterparts the necessary steps to finalize a return to an agreement that would provide significant benefits to the Iranian economy through the lifting of sanctions,” Coveney said.
– ‘complicated and difficult’ –
The talks in Vienna aim to return the US to a nuclear deal, including by lifting sanctions on Iran, and ensuring Tehran completes compliance with its commitments.
“Our goal is to completely remove all JCPOA sanctions,” Amir-Abdullahian said, adding that “it is better for the Islamic Republic to reach an agreement today rather than tomorrow”.
The Iranian top diplomat’s remarks followed comments by his ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, who said earlier on Monday that “there is no standoff in Vienna”.
“The negotiations are complex and difficult, because they have reached critical issues that require serious political decisions, especially by Washington,” Khatebzadeh told a news conference.
“We need objective guarantees to ensure that the US does not once again abandon the agreement and that it honors its commitments,” Khatibzadeh said.
“All JCPOA restrictions of any given label should be lifted at the same time,” he said.
The campaign to save the 2015 nuclear deal resumed in late November after a pause following Raisi’s election in June.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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