Deal to revive JCPOA may be reached very soon: Russian diplomat

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A deal to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) may be reached "literally in the next few days," Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna, said on Friday.

"My feeling is that an agreement to restore the status quo as of 2016 can be reached literally in the coming days," Ulyanov told a press conference.

For his part, the Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian emphasized, during a phone conversation with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, on Thursday, his nation's good intentions and commitment to the Vienna negotiations to reach a good and lasting deal, stressing that unless all is agreed upon, there can be no good and lasting accord.

Amir-Abdollahian noted that "after receiving the United States' viewpoints, we will see if Iran's economic benefits from the agreement, as well as meeting our red lines are guaranteed. We will enter a new stage in Vienna. Until everything is agreed upon, we cannot speak with certainty about reaching a good and durable agreement."

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Israeli opposition to Iranian nuke deal’s restoration having little impact

"Israel’s" opposition to the restoration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) regarding the Iranian nuclear program has had little impact on the process, a senior Russian diplomat said on Friday.

"To say that the Israeli factor has had no influence whatsoever would be an overstatement, however, it is not very significant," Russian Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said speaking during an online news briefing.

"Honestly, I do not understand Israel’s stance," he continued. "It [Israel] is unsatisfied with today’s situation, when Iran went a long way beyond the framework of its obligations regarding the JCPOA, which is a tool ensuring reliable control over the Iranian nuclear program."

"In my opinion, Israel’s opposition to this nuclear deal is irrational," Ulyanov remarked.

The Russian envoy also stressed that more and more Israeli officials, most of them already retired, have started saying that the deal in question is good. "I believe that [Israel’s] opposition won’t impede a new agreement on restoring the old deal," he stated.

This comes after Israeli PM Yair Lapid affirmed "Israel's" opposition to the revival of the JCPOA agreement of 2015, otherwise known as the Iran nuclear deal. 

In a statement on Thursday by Lapid's administration and after a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz regarding the Iran nuclear deal, the statement read, "The Prime Minister reiterated Israel’s opposition to a return to the nuclear agreement and the need for Europe to send a clear and unequivocal message that there will be no more concessions to Iran."

The statement was concluded with "Europe must oppose Iran buying time in negotiations. The two agreed to meet soon, as a reflection of the close relations between their two countries."