Iran has seriously expressed readiness to conclude the Vienna talks aimed at reviving the nuclear deal, stressing the need for the other involved parties to return with good faith.
Its chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani said that Tehran will provide the US, which withdrew from Iran’s 2015 deal “unilaterally and unlawfully”, an opportunity to demonstrate “good faith and act responsibly” to reach a reasonable deal in Vienna talks.
Apparently, Iran is in a hurry for an agreement to pave the way for a swift conclusion of Vienna negotiations which has been stalled since March this year due to differences between Tehran and Washington.
Kani assurance and readiness to conclude the negotiations in a short order, is just coming forward after a few days when EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell presented the United States and Iran with a new proposal to salvage the tattered 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Iran under the landmark JCPOA agreement between UK, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the US, had agreed to limit its nuclear activities as well as allowing the most extensive monitoring and inspection implemented by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). In return, Iran expected relief from severe economic sanctions from the world.
Now it’s time to test US resolve on the process after Iran has instantly appeared to be ready to resume talks. However, the development came days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced new sanctions on entities trading in Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals, saying that “US will keep using its authorities to target Iran’s exports of these products until Iran is ready to return to full implementation of its commitments under a mutual return to the JCPOA.”
Tehran does not trust, wants guarantee
It would be naïve for the US to think that Iran will continue to be flexible and creative at the negotiating table through pressures. It’s not because Iran is not willing to revitalize the deal, but it is about trust-deficit.
Iran has repeatedly called for a guarantee that the US should not once again abandon the deal. Former US President Donald Trump withdrew the deal in 2018 and imposed biting sanctions on Iran, a move sparked anger among Tehran politicians, prompting it to accelerate its nuclear activities. Iran has since not been willing to trust the US in nutshell, but wants a guarantee.
His successor, Joe Biden has embarked upon the process of rolling back on his former’s withdrawal, but so far failed to restore the agreement.
Despite carrying talks for nearly one year among JCPOA members, including the US, no breakthrough was achieved to revive the 2015 nuclear accord and both sides Iran and US accused each other of being unserious to reach a deal.
At the same time, Iran’s Atomic Agency Chief, Mohammad Eslami said that his country is now able to produce an atomic bomb, but said they have no intention to do so.
Eslami’s retreated comments made by Kamal Kharazi, a close adviser to the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which said Iran is not interesting in building a bomb because it contradicts with country’s principles and national security needs.
After 11 months of unsuccessful talks in Vienna, with clear intention of Iran to resume the talks and almost zero-intention to building bomb, now the ball is on the table of Biden’s administration whether to reach a logical deal or remain in hostility with Iran.
