Iran FM blames Washington for JCPOA stalemate

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
1 Mar 13:13

During the Conference on Disarmament, the Iranian foreign minister stresses that the current status of the JCPOA is the product of US policies and miscalculations.

Conference on Disarmament 2023. February 28, 2023. (UN photo)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has blamed Washington for the stalemate in talks aimed at reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), claiming that the current situation is the result of Washington's policies and miscalculations.

Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks on Tuesday during the high-level segment of the Conference on Disarmament in the Swiss city of Geneva. “The current status of the JCPOA is the product of the US policies and miscalculations. Our past experience taught us to become engaged in the new round of negotiations with more care and sensitivity,” he said.

The top Iranian diplomat went on to say that the few remaining problems in the talks to resurrect the agreement could be quickly resolved. “Therefore, without any preconditions and through goodwill and determination of all parties and within the framework of the negotiations held until now, the final steps of the talks can be taken,” he said.

Amir-Abdollahian added that the US must have "the will and strength to conclude the lengthy talks," emphasizing that the Islamic Republic is willing to continue talks until an agreement is reached. In addition, he urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to abandon its political strategy in order to reach a technical solution.

The Iranian Foreign Minister warned the UN's nuclear watchdog against any decisions by the IAEA Board of Governors during an upcoming meeting in March, stressing that Tehran reserves the right to give an appropriate response.

He reiterated that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful and will remain as such, emphasizing that Iran will remain fully committed to its obligations under its comprehensive safeguards agreement as confirmed up till now.

Iran reversed its compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement after the United States unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

Since April 2021, when Joe Biden took office in the United States, Tehran, and the surviving signatories to the agreement have been in talks about reviving the agreement. However, those discussions have been stalled for months due to Washington's inaction and refusal to provide guarantees.