Tehran tells negotiators to amp up pressure for sanction removal

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The Iranian Assembly of Experts calls on its negotiators in Vienna to increase the pressure on the major powers for full sanction 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.

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 would 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 from the agreement again.

The Iranian statement comes amid the eighth round of the Vienna talks between Iran and the P4+1, which has been ongoing for two months.

All the parties at the negotiating table have hinted that there has been significant progress as of late, with Iran saying only a few key issues have been obstructing the conclusion of the talks. Tehran said the United States refusing to implement a full removal of sanctions has been the aforementioned obstacle.

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Admiral Shamkhani said a few days ago the prospect of a deal in the Austrian capital remained uncertain due to the United States pushing a political decision down the road.