Tehran 'ready' to resume JCPOA talks based on 2022 draft: Iran FM

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
12 Sep 2023 20:08

Iran's top diplomat emphasized the ongoing endeavors of the current administration to counteract sanctions imposed by the West.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. (IRNA)

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has stated that Iran is prepared to engage in negotiations regarding the draft agreement for the JCPOA from the previous year, which aims to restore the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) and lift unauthorized US sanctions.

The announcement was made during a meeting with senior officials from the Iranian Foreign Ministry and a gathering of university professors specializing in political science and international relations in Tehran.

The top diplomat emphasized the ongoing endeavors of the current administration to counteract sanctions imposed by the West. He also underscored their commitment to maintaining an opportunity for negotiations to lift the unlawful US sanctions.

"Today, we are not at the point of reaching a temporary agreement, and what took place was the dignified reclamation of the Iranian nation’s assets in two phases from the United Kingdom and South Korea," Amir-Abdollahian said in reference to the recent release of frozen funds in both countries.

BRICS, SCO membership reveals Iran's high status

"The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to negotiate the September [draft] document for the realization of the rights of the Iranian nation and the removal of sanctions, while maintaining its red lines," he added.

But Iran has not stopped there, and at the same time, it has seriously put the "neutralization of sanctions" on the agenda, he added.

He also pointed out Iran’s growing influence with regional and international partners, noting, "The membership of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS is a big step that bespeaks the high status and capacities of the Islamic Republic among the world's emerging economies."

In May 2018, the US, under former President Donald Trump, withdrew from the JCPOA and re-imposed sanctions that the agreement had previously lifted. Efforts to restore the 2015 deal began in April 2021 in Vienna, with the goal of lifting sanctions against Iran and assessing the US' commitment to rejoining the JCPOA.

Unfortunately, these negotiations have been stalled since August 2022 due to Washington's unwavering stance of not removing all the sanctions imposed on Tehran by the previous US administration, leading to a deadlock in the process.

The EU, which served as the mediator in the negotiations, presented a new proposal to Iran to overcome the impasse caused by delays from the US. Iran responded to the EU's draft proposal on August 15, 2022, following the conclusion of the latest round of talks in Vienna. After submitting its response, Iran called on the Biden administration to display "realism and flexibility" to reach an agreement.

However, it took nearly ten days for the US to provide its response to Iran's comments on the EU's draft proposal. Iran attributed the failure to revive the JCPOA to the US side's procrastination in providing a response and asserted that progress could have been made if the US had demonstrated a genuine commitment and fulfilled its promises responsibly.