Live
Audio Only
The United States walked out unilaterally of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2018 during the Trump administration, and then decided to re-impose sanctions, crippling the Iranian economy.
The head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, warned on Wednesday that the negotiations on a possible restoration of the JCPOA deal will fail unless U.S. President Joe Biden gives some guarantees. “The U.S. President, lacking authority, is not ready to give guarantees. If the current status quo continues, the result of negotiations is clear”, Shamkhani tweeted.
RELATED:
US Envoy: Window for Iran Nuclear Talks Won’t Be Open Forever
His remarks come shortly after Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian on Tuesday underlined the importance of mutual benefit as the basis of the nuclear negotiations in Vienna.
“The purpose of negotiations is not talking for the sake of talking, but to achieve tangible results on the basis of respect for mutual interests. The P4+1 should be ready for negotiations based on mutual interests & rights”, Amirabdollahian tweeted.
Tehran was critical of the fact that Washington works on a double contradictory line, expressing interest in returning to the JCPOA, while continuing to impose sanctions on Iranian officials. The U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed a new round of sanctions last October on four individuals and two entities allegedly involved in promoting Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program.
Talks aimed at reviving the landmark nuclear deal struck between Iran and six other nations are to resume this month pic.twitter.com/SfNtjjNaxt
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) November 3, 2021
Despite the new sanctions, Washington appeared to welcome the idea of quickly restoring the 2015 agreement after Iran said that the stalled Vienna talks would resume by the end of November. However, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in early November that it will announce the date for the talks to resume after consulting all parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), primarily China.
The leaders of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States have stated that in order for the sanctions to be lifted, Iran must first return to compliance with the JCPOA. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden asserted that Washington is ready to return “to full compliance with the JCPOA and to stay in full compliance, so long as Iran does the same”.
Tehran stepped away from its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA shortly after former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the deal in 2018. Iran has consistently reiterated that because it was Washington's move to exit the deal, it is now up to the U.S. to take the first step and lift the sanctions before Tehran returns to its own JCPOA commitments.
Newsletter
