Eslami underlines Iran's firm stance on complete sanctions removal

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
27 Aug 2022 14:53

AEOI chief says the Iranian negotiating team in Vienna maintained "the red lines" and 'put canceling the sanctions as its priority."

The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Eslami

Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), stated that Tehran's approach in negotiations with the world powers entails the complete removal of all sanctions imposed by Washington and emphasized the Iranian negotiating team's firm stance on the country's red lines.

Eslami stated in a meeting in the southern Iranian city of Bushehr on Friday night that the Iranian negotiating team in Vienna talks "has stood up against the other side and, while maintaining the red lines, has prioritized the cancellation of sanctions."

Efforts to save the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) should put Iran back on track for trade, progress, and development, as per Eslami.

“If we will not take a long stride and not aim at great goals, relying on precise plans and strong will, the enemy will definitely proceed faster, and the stronger we will move towards advancement, their speed in moves against us will naturally decrease every day,” he said.

The Iranian official recalled that the enemy's economic war against Iran began in 2017.

In a different context, Eslami denied the accusations made against the Islamic Republic about safeguards in a statement to the media in Tehran.

Iran expects IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to ignore the fuss that the Israeli regime and the anti-Iranian groups have made against its nuclear program for more than 20 years, Eslami said, denouncing the media hype created mainly by the Zionist regime.

A look back

In 2015, Iran signed the JCPOA with the P5+1 group of countries (the United States, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom - plus Germany) and the European Union.

It required Iran to scale back its nuclear program and severely downgrade its uranium reserves in exchange for sanctions relief, including lifting the arms embargo five years after the deal's adoption.

However, in 2018, the US, under Trump, abandoned its conciliatory stance on Iran, withdrawing from the JCPOA and implementing hardline policies against Tehran. In April 2021, the parties to the agreement began negotiations to restore the nuclear deal in Vienna.