Western Sources: Vienna talks 98% complete
Western parties participating in Vienna told Al Mayadeen that discussions with the Iranian delegation have resolved almost 98 percent of differences.
Western sources taking part in Vienna negotiations told Al Mayadeen the dialogue with the Iranian delegation in Vienna has reached critical stages, and resolutions may reach a final agreement, provided that Iran removes certain obstacles and conditions.
The source claimed that every time the parties are close to reaching an agreement, the Iranians come up with "additional conditions and demands," some "impossible" to implement.
It stressed that the aims were to conclude negotiations before the end of this month, casting the blame for any future delays on the Iranian delegation.
In a related context, Ali Shamkhani, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, stressed that "America's definite breach of covenants is the most important factor threatening any agreement."
"The real lifting of sanctions means that Iran enjoys reliable and sustainable economic benefits," Shamkhani wrote in a tweet on Tuesday, noting that "verifying the lifting of sanctions and providing guarantees are an integral part of a good agreement."
The eighth round of Vienna negotiations on lifting the embargo on Iran resumed between the Iranian delegation and the P4+1 in the Austrian capital on February 10 following an 11-day hiatus for consultations.
Simultaneously, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stressed, in a telephone conversation with his British counterpart Liz Truss, the seriousness and responsibility of the other parties in the Vienna nuclear negotiations, considering that reaching this stage of the negotiations resulted more than anything else from the logical steps and initiative taken by Iran.
Amir-Abdollahian stressed the need for a collective agreement between all negotiating parties on a single text and the need to take into account the legitimate demands of Tehran.
The Iranian Foreign Minister had confirmed in two phone calls on Monday with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that Iran would not, in any way, retreat from its red lines that are based on logic and realism.