Shamkhani: Vienna Talks remain complicated with Washington's undecidedness

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Iran's Secretary of Supreme National Security Council Admiral Ali Shamkhani has stressed that nuclear negotiations are becoming more complicated with every hour that Washington does not make a decision.

In a tweet, Shamkhani stressed that Washington's desire to conclude a quick agreement means that it has no intention of a solid nuclear agreement.

Yesterday, the Iranian Assembly of Experts called on its negotiators in Vienna to increase the pressure on the major powers for full sanctions removal.

The council issued a statement on Wednesday voicing appreciation for the negotiating team and its efforts in the Vienna talks, calling on them to put the full removal of sanctions and their neutralization atop their agenda for the nuclear talks between Iran and the major world powers.

Moscow: Claims that Russia dominates Vienna talks 'nonsense' 

Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, announced Wednesday, that claims that Russia dominates the negotiations to restore the nuclear agreement with Iran are nonsense.

Ulyanov said in a tweet, “JCPOA opponents both in US and Iran in unison (which is very touching) spread misinformation by claiming that Russia dominated Vienna Talks. This is flattering but nonsense. I’d like to see how anyone could dominate negotiations with participation of Iran and the US."

A lot of speculations about “attempts by Russia to sabotage the #ViennaTalks”. A dirty misinterpretation. As of now a number of parties need a little bit more time to finalise the deal. Russia has always been a driving force, not an obstacle in the course of the negotiations.

— Mikhail Ulyanov (@Amb_Ulyanov) March 9, 2022

Earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow had requested written guarantees from the United States that sanctions against Russia would not interfere with its cooperation with Iran after the restoration of the JCPOA.

A week ago, Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported that information from more than one source suggests a deal will be reached soon in the Vienna Talks.

According to Ulyanov, the Vienna Talks "are almost over," and two issues remain outstanding, which can be resolved in the next 24 to 48 hours.

The Vienna Talks between Iran and the remaining JCPOA parties began in April on the assumption that the US, under the Joe Biden administration, is willing to reverse the so-called maximum pressure policy pursued by former President Donald Trump against Tehran.

Iran has stated that it will not accept anything less than the complete removal of all US sanctions in a verifiable manner. It also wants assurances that Washington will not withdraw unilaterally from the agreement again.

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For his part, the Russian Ambassador to Tehran, Levan Gagaryan, affirmed that Moscow played a positive role, whether in crystallizing the nuclear agreement or the recent Vienna Talks to revive the agreement and lift sanctions on Iran.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Gagaryan said Moscow played a crucial role in the 2015 agreement, recalling that when Trump left the agreements, Russia continued to adhere to them.

He added that Iran seeks to protect its interests and emphasized that the West will not succeed in driving a wedge between Moscow and Tehran.

The European Union's top envoy Enrique Mora declared, on Monday, the end of formal and expert-level meetings regarding Iran’s nuclear deal.

Mora tweeted, "Just to clarify. There are no longer 'expert-level talks.' Nor 'formal meetings.' It is time, in the next few days, for political decisions to end the #ViennaTalks. The rest is noise."

Just to clarify. There are no longer "expert level talks". Nor "formal meetings". It is time, in the next few days, for political decisions to end the #ViennaTalks . The rest is noise. https://t.co/InuxzlBrCn

— Enrique Mora (@enriquemora_) March 7, 2022