Iranian FM: Vienna agreement must uphold Iranian rights to be accepted

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
9 Aug 2022 11:36
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In a phone call with European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, Iranian FM Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reiterated that for an agreement to be signed, sanctions against Iran must be lifted.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian emphasized that a final Vienna agreement on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal must uphold the rights of the Iranian nation and ensure the sustainable and effective lifting of sanctions against Tehran.

In a phone conversation with European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell, Amir-Abdollahian stressed that the Iranian delegation came to the negotiating table determined to achieve a settlement and presented constructive suggestions to overcome the outstanding concerns.

The Iranian minister then expressed his gratitude for EU coordinator Enrique Mora's efforts to speed up the negotiation process. The foreign minister added that in order to achieve the precise language of a draft agreement, all parties must demonstrate commitment and seriousness.

Borell, on his end, stated that his "assessment of this phase of talks is positive. We, as coordinators, will continue our efforts to bring the views of the parties closer together to reach a deal that is good for all sides."

The talks between major powers and Iran aim to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement and return the United States to it, following Washington's unilateral withdrawal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump, who accompanied his decision with the imposition of harsh sanctions on Tehran.

Iran has been stressing that its nuclear program is purely for civilian purposes, while hopes for a deal remain slim. However, Washington seeks to revive the nuclear deal, because, as state secretary Blinken said, reviving the nuclear deal is still in the interests of the US.

On August 6, adviser to the Iranian negotiating team, Seyed Mohammad Marandi, told Al Mayadeen that there has been "overall progress" in the ongoing Vienna talks between Iran and the US. However, he notes that this does not mean that an agreement has been reached and that "caution is required."

Marandi mainly said that there are certain issues that need to be resolved between the two countries otherwise "we cannot have an agreement."

The Iranian adviser added to Al Mayadeen that "all of Iran's requests came within the joint action plan," adding that "they do not breach the agreement at any point." Marandi explained that "The issue of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) being on the US foreign terror organization list was never a pre-condition for the nuclear deal with Iran."

The Iranian advisor added, "Iran needs to make sure that there are no loopholes in any agreement that the Americans can use tomorrow against the Iranians," given the history of US breaches of the 2015 JCPOA agreement.