Commenting on the spread of leaks from the Vienna meetings in some media outlets, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh tweeted today, Thursday, that spreading false information in the context of media reports is a dangerous behavior.

He added that "the final deal to let the US return to the JCPOA will be far from the unsourced spin making the round, stressing that "it won't be a bilateral agreement either."

Khatibzadeh said, "Expect more spin as we approach final days [of the negotiations]."

Misinformation disguised as reporting is dangerous.

The final deal to let the US return to the JCPOA will be far from the unsourced spin making the rounds. It won't be a bilateral agreement either.

Expect more spin as we approach final days.

— Saeed Khatibzadeh | سعید خطیب‌زاده (@SKhatibzadeh) February 17, 2022

The Iranian Tasnim agency denied media reports circulating on Thursday regarding the nuclear agreement draft, accusing Washington of resorting to "media sorcery" instead of politics.

It said that the media report, which talked about a 20-page draft, comes within the framework of "psychological operations" and has nothing to do with the facts presented in the negotiations. Tasnim also denied the validity of the details it contained regarding the suspension of uranium enrichment at rates higher than 5% and the release of frozen funds worth seven billion in exchange for the release of American prisoners in Iran.

The Iranian agency pointed out that one of the pieces of evidence proving the false allegations of Reuters is linking the issue of releasing the prisoners to the nuclear talks, at a time Tehran has repeatedly confirmed that the two files are not linked in any way.

It added that Iran will not suspend uranium enrichment at any rate before a final decision is made about the sanctions, especially those on oil, or before ensuring that it obtains oil export funds through official channels.

For its part, Nour News Agency reported that contrary to Reuters' claims that direct negotiations between the United States and Iran are a prerequisite for reaching a final agreement in Vienna, "this matter is not on the Iranian delegation's agenda."

Reuter's fake news

Reuters had claimed, quoting diplomatic sources, today, Thursday, that the nuclear agreement draft between Iran and major powers includes reciprocal measures.

The sources said the first steps of the draft include lifting the embargo on Iranian assets and releasing prisoners, adding that the draft is more than 20 pages and stipulates steps to be implemented once approved.

The sources further explained that as soon as the initial package of measures is implemented, the main phase of lifting sanctions begins, noting that there is no agreement on the duration of the phases in order to implement the approved measures, as per Reuters' claims. 

Iranian positions

Today, Thursday, Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei said that members of the Iranian diplomatic mission are making efforts to thwart the sanctions imposed on Iran.

Yesterday, Iran's chief negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, declared that "after weeks of intensive talks, we are closer than ever to an agreement."

Moreover, the advisor of the Iranian delegation, Mohammad Marandi, confirmed that "We are approaching an agreement in Vienna. However, there are some issues remaining that need a US/E3 decision. It's possible that a deal can be reached within days."