Iranian FM: No logical justifications for new US demands

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Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell discussed Thursday the latest developments of the Vienna talks over a phone call, the Iranian foreign ministry confirmed.

During the call, Amir-Abdollahian pointed out that "There are no logical justifications for some of the new demands from the United States."

He indicated that the excessive US demands contradict its position on a quick reaching to an agreement, stressing that "The main issues and the effective lifting of sanctions should not be influenced by US excessive demands."

Still close to reaching an agreement

The top Iranian diplomat noted that "If realism rules over the behavior of all parties, we are still close to reaching a good and strong agreement."

In addition, he affirmed that "Some issues related to our national heroes are not negotiable," in reference to Washington refusing to remove the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) from its terror list.

Borrell: EU supports Iran's call for economic guarantees

For his part, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell said the Vienna talks are at a critical juncture, calling on Washington and Tehran to show more flexibility in exchanging messages.

Borrell noted that the EU supports Iran's call for economic guarantees.

Earlier, an informed Iranian source announced that three or four major and minor issues are still pending in the Vienna talks on guarantees and sanctions.

France FM: Window of opportunity is closing

France's foreign ministry warned that the opportunity to reach an agreement on reviving the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was closing, calling "on all parties to take a responsible approach and make the decisions necessary to conclude this agreement."

"We are very close to an agreement, but the window of opportunity is closing," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre said in a daily briefing.

Tehran will not retrieve its red lines in Vienna

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi also affirmed that Tehran will not retrieve any of its red lines in the Vienna talks, noting that the government is actively seeking, in the Vienna Talks, to lift the sanctions imposed on Iran.

Raisi tweeted that the government aimed first to minimize the effects of the sanctions, but in the second step, it aimed to lift the sanctions entirely, without backing down. 

In the same context, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, stressed that nuclear talks get more complicated with every hour that Washington does not make a political decision.