Iran’s UN mission made the remarks on Thursday after the London-based Middle East Eye (MEE) news and analysis website claimed that the countries were close to clinching such a deal amid the stagnation of talks on the revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The JCPOA was reached in 2015 between Iran and world countries, including the United States. It enabled limited sanction relief for the Islamic Republic, which, in turn, volunteered to change some aspects of its nuclear work.

The U.S., however, left the agreement in 2018 under former president Donald Trump, returning all the sanctions that the deal had lifted.

Negotiations to revive the agreement started in April 2021. The talks have, however, stalled amid Washington’s refusal to offer guarantees that it would not ditch the deal again.

“There is no interim deal [meant] to replace the JCPOA,” said the Iranian mission to the United Nations, adding that no such agreement is on the agenda.

Also on Thursday, a White House National Security Council spokesman similarly rejected the MEE report, calling it false and misleading.

Trump’s successor Joe Biden has alleged an interest in returning the US to the JCPOA. Biden’s administration has, however, not only stopped short of taking any measures that could lift the talks out of its current impasse but has also imposed many rounds of its own sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Mohsen Naziri Asl, Iran’s permanent representative at the United Nations office in Vienna, touched upon the United States’ self-proclaimed desire to return to the JCPOA on Wednesday. “Despite the arduous negotiations that lasted for more than 18 months, mainly due to the lack of American political will and determination, we could not bring the talks to a conclusion,” he said.

Some media outlets claimed that negotiations have made significant headway and the two sides have reached an agreement on a temporary deal to take to their respective superiors, the sources said.

Under the terms of the deal, Iran would commit to ceasing its 60 percent-and-beyond uranium enrichment activities and would continue its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the monitoring and verification of its nuclear program.

In exchange, the sources said, Tehran would be allowed to export up to a million barrels of oil per day and gain access to its income and other frozen funds abroad.

Those funds would have to be exclusively used to purchase a range of essential items, including food and medication.

In addition to the bilateral talks between Iran and the US, Qatar has emerged as a facilitator, offering its assistance in resolving banking-related issues that have emerged as a significant point of contention.

Reacting to this report, both Tehran and Washington rejected it and called it baseless.

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U.S. President Joe Biden during his presidential campaign used to reiterate that the U.S. wanted to return to the JCPOA which had been left by former President Donald Trump and since the first day in office, Biden has said that he wants talks and diplomacy but at the same time has stressed that he would consider military option if the talks do not work.

U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley said President Biden is willing to take military action against Iran if Tehran rejects Washington’s terms on the nuclear deal.

The Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was an agreement signed in 2015 by Tehran with the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China, during the presidency of Barack Obama. However, Obama’s successor Donald Trump abandoned the JCPOA in May 2018 and slapped cruel sanctions on Iran. Biden had vowed to resume talks to revive the Iran nuclear deal and remove the harsh US sanctions. Two years into the presidency, Biden has failed to keep his promise and is now threatening to take military action.

In an interview with Foreign Policy’s podcast Playlist broadcasted on Wednesday, Malley said Biden is prepared for a military option if nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran and others fail to reach an agreement.

Malley said that Washington was exerting unprecedented pressure on Iran to accept the terms of the nuclear deal.

“First, I think the president has made this clear, our priority is diplomacy. It’s the proven way, the best way. It’s the most sustainable way to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. And, that still remains our preference,” he said, despite the fact that the Islamic Republic has repeatedly rejected US allegations that it is seeking to build a nuclear bomb.

“Now, there are other tools that we are already using: pressure, international pressure, of a kind that Iran has not experienced for many many years,” he added.

“Remember under the Trump administration much of the world, including our three European allies in the negotiations, spent at least as much time blaming the US, as they were blaming Iran for its nuclear advances. “

The U.S. top Iran official claimed that in August the two sides had almost reached an agreement on the JCPOA deal, but Tehran wanted the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to stop its inspections, and so, they disagreed. Tehran, however, disputed this, saying it had complied with the deal even beyond its obligations, since the 2015 signing of the JCPOA, and the IAEA had witnessed Tehran’s commitment to the terms of the deal at least 15 times. Iran turned off several of IAEA’s cameras which were functioning outside the Safeguards Agreement since early June after the IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution that accused the country of not cooperating with the UN body.

Malley claimed the Iranian government as a whole was divided, and not yet concluded on whether they really wanted to come back to JCPOA, or not; and, so each time Tehran was presented with a deal, even deals that were considered fair by other parties such as Germany France and the UK, plus Russia and China, Iran was the one that walked back. He said the deal would be dead when the benefits do not justify or warrant the sanctions relief that the US is ready to offer.

“So we’ve now [pause], we’re in a very different situation today, where we’re working the next step with the UK, with France, with Germany, with so many countries around the world. Look at the vote at the IAEA Board of Governors. There is a vast majority of countries today, and not just Western countries, that understand that the pressure has to be put on Iran to stop its nuclear advances, Malley said.

“Now that said, so we’ll have the sanctions, we’ll have the pressure and we’ll have the diplomacy. If none of that works, the president has said, and, as a last resort, he will agree to a military option because if that’s what it takes to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, that’s what will happen. But we’re not there. We are still hopeful that we will find other means and that Iran will change its current path because it will be best for everyone,” he continued.

It seems Malley is suffering from absent-mindedness and has forgotten that the Islamic Republic of Iran has been challenging with the U.S. sanctions since the first day of its existence and it has overcome them although it has a little bit suffered but it has thwarted the sanctions of the U.S.

In recent days that rioters poor into streets, it seems the U.S. has been emboldened and it has once again become rude and has taken offensive position against Tehran but Washington should know that the more it takes offensive position, the more Tehran will become courageous and take offensive rhetoric against Washington.

So the U.S. is better to come to its senses and not to bet on a dead horse of riots as well as bullying Iran because Iran is determined to continue its path and the U.S. and its allies have no option but to follow diplomacy and accepting Iran’s logical demands because Iran is now in a strong position so that nobody can dictate its excessive demands on Tehran and the era of bully and dominance has come to its end.

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On Wednesday, foreign ministers of Iran, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, as well as the Russian and Chinese ambassadors attended the meeting of Afghanistan’s six neighbors plus Russia — the second of its kind — at the Iranian Foreign Ministry in Tehran.

The foreign ministers of Russia and China also took part in the meeting online.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said the summit would focus on the new situation in Afghanistan, expressing hope that it will send a common message with a united voice to the international community, regional countries and Afghanistan.

“We believe that in the first place, all neighbors and the international community, in parallel, should pay special attention to the political and humanitarian situation, along with the spread of terrorism, drug trafficking, and the situation of human rights and women in Afghanistan,” he said.

Amir-Abdollahian also noted that the responsibility for the security of Afghan citizens and borders with neighbors lies primarily with the interim government in Kabul.

“Respect for other countries’ sovereignty, preservation of their territorial integrity and non-interference in their affairs are among the basic principles of the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy,” he said.

“If a strong message is being sent today from the Tehran meeting for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, it is because of attention to the history and the role of the Afghan people in countering the occupation and the challenges of recent decades.”

Amir-Abdollahian blamed “foreign meddling” as the root cause of many of the problems currently facing Afghanistan and said the United States must openly accept responsibility “with a loud voice” for the catastrophes it brought about in the country during its two-decade-long invasion.

The United States must also stand by the international community in the serious measures that it will take to soothe the sufferings of the Afghan people and help the nation overcome its challenges, Amir-Abdollahian added.

Also addressing the event, Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber said the security of neighboring countries is intertwined with that of Afghanistan.

“Accordingly, we supported the initiative of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to hold the first summit of the Afghanistan’s neighboring states, hosted the second round of the meeting and welcome the hosting of a third round by the People’s Republic of China,” he added.

Mokhber also said the U.S. spent more than $2.5 trillion to create a government in Afghanistan, but the failure of its irrational, irresponsible and reckless policy showed how alienated Washington is from the Afghan people, culture, and social environment.

“The United States and its NATO allies attacked Afghanistan two decades ago under the pretext of the 9/11 attacks purportedly to fight against terrorism. However, their 20-year invasion and occupation of Afghanistan has brought nothing other than insecurity, spread of extremism, rise of terrorism, economic backwardness, destruction of the foundations of independence, increase of drug production and the bereavement of Afghan families,” he said.

“The scandalous U.S. escape without a sense of responsibility for the security and future of the country’s people created painful and instructive scenes. It showed that America could not bring security, peace, stability and prosperity to the Afghan people and that reliance on foreign governments can keep no government in place.”

Referring to recent terrorist attacks at mosques in the cities of Kandahar and Kundudz, he warned that Takfiri terror outfits like Daesh are operating as a US proxy force against Afghan citizens’ security.

The Takfiris, he said, are trying to spark a new civil war by fueling discord and pessimism among different Afghan ethnic and religious groups.

“Today, it is the duty of the people and rulers of Afghanistan not to allow the reactionaries and aggressors to threaten the security of its people,” he added.

Meanwhile addressing the conference, Pakistani Foreign Minister Mehmood Qureshi called on the world community to pay attention to the economic situation of the Afghan people and prevent the occurrence of human tragedy in that country.

Qureshi also stressed the need to free the assets of Afghanistan.

The Second Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan’s Neighboring Countries started work in the Iranian capital on Wednesday. Foreign ministers of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan as well as envoys of China and Russia are present in the meeting, while foreign ministers of China and Russia have taken part virtually.

Referring to Taliban’s August takeover in Afghanistan, Qureshi said the broad wave of refuge has been seen after.

About Tehran meeting, the Pakistani foreign minister said it is for ensuring coordination between Afghanistan’s neighbors to manage the existing challenges.

He went on to stress that all are after seeing a stable Afghanistan.

Meanwhile Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hailed the Second Meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan’s Neighboring Countries in Tehran, saying it will reinforce diplomatic channels.

Addressing the event, Yi said China has held various consultations on the Afghanistan issue.

He added that Beijing will continue cooperation with different countries on Afghanistan aiming to improve the situation and to create a better life for Afghans.

Foreign ministers of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan as well as envoys of China and Russia attended the meeting.

Foreign ministers of China and Russia took part in the meeting virtually.

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At the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on May 1, the agenda was to discuss the names of the Iranian individuals and entities on the United States and European Union sanctions list.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on May 1, after the Joint Commission meeting, discussions are underway about a long list of individuals and organizations put on the sanctions list and that Iran wants them removed as well.

He stressed that there are disputes about a few names and entities.

“According to the agreements reached so far, sanctions on the energy sector or the car industry, financial sectors, banking systems, and ports should be lifted,” Araghchi said after the JCPOA joint commission meeting.

This clarifies the Vienna negotiations agenda, denying claims that the Tehran-Washington and Tehran-London prisoner swap was discussed in the Joint Commission meetings.

According to Al Mayadeen News Network, Tehran and Washington have agreed to exchange four American spies for $7b and four Iranian prisoners.

The Iranian prisoners have helped circumvent the U.S. sanctions, while the American prisoners have been spying for the CIA.

Similar negotiations have taken place between Iran and the UK, resulting in the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, in exchange for London unfreezing 400 million pounds of frozen Iranian funds in London.

History suggests that these negotiations take place between top foreign policy and national security officials. Therefore, it cannot be expected that deputies would discuss such issues.

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“The U.S. acknowledged Pompeo’s claims re Res. 2231 had no legal validity,” Zarif wrote in a tweet on Friday, hours after the Biden administration rescinded Trump’s alleged restoration of UN sanctions on Iran back in September, which fell short of garnering enough support at the UN Security Council in the first place.

In recent weeks, Tehran and Washington have been at loggerheads over which side should first return to comply with the 2015 nuclear deal, which the Trump administration withdrew from in 2018 and tried to destroy with his so-called maximum pressure campaign.

“The U.S. unconditionally & effectively lift all sanctions imposed, re-imposed or re-labeled by Trump,” Zarif said. “We will then immediately reverse all remedial measures.”

Tehran argues that the U.S. should first lift all the sanctions put in place under Trump before the Islamic Republic returns to full compliance with the deal, as it was the U.S. that caused the complication by pulling out of the deal, which in turn prompted Iran to take remedial measures.

Iran says the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has kept up his predecessor’s “maximum pressure” policy towards Iran that has brought along nothing but defeat and disgrace for Washington.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh later responded to the U.S. move, which he called a mere “gesture” and said the US must lift sanctions in order to revive the JCPOA.

“Remember, Trump left the room and tried to blow it up,” Khatibzadeh tweeted. “Gestures are fine. But to revive P5+1, U.S. must Act: LIFT sanctions.”

Meanwhile, President Hassan Rouhani said the new U.S. administration needs to act swiftly to make up for the past mistakes and return to the rule of law by resuming its commitments under a UN resolution that endorsed the 2015 agreement on the Iranian nuclear program.

“Implementing and respecting international law, commitments and treaties are among the humanitarian and political duties of all governments,” Rouhani said in a videoconference address to the inaugural ceremony of four industrial and mineral projects on Thursday.

“Therefore, we hope that they [US] will return to the rule of law so that we will be able to conduct our interactions, particularly in the trade sector, in the world under better circumstances,” he added.

He said the former “madman” at the White House waged war against the Iranian nation that was unprecedented in history, referring to ex-US president Donald Trump.

Trump imagined that he could bring Iran to its knees by exercising pressure on the nation and forcing it to succumb, Rouhani added.

However, he said, American people and the current president of the country have realized that the former president was wrong,” expressing hope that “those mistakes will be compensated for as soon as possible, and the new U.S. administration will submit to the law, regulations and [UN Security Council] Resolution 2231.”

Later on Thursday, Rouhani said as an important international actor, the European Union must play a suitable role in counteracting the U.S.’ unilateral policies and protect the landmark nuclear deal with Iran as a major fruit of multilateral diplomacy.

Rouhani made the remarks in a Thursday phone call with Charles Michel, president of the European Council, during which he highlighted the important role of the Council in setting the direction of the European Union’s major policies and delineating its priorities.

“As an important actor in the international arena, the European Union must play a suitable role to counteract the U.S. unilateralism,” Iran’s president said.

Rouhani reiterated that as such an important achievement for globally-inclusive diplomacy, the deal — officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — should not be allowed to come apart easily.

He advised that Mogherini’s successor Josep Borrell continue serving the duty of coordinator by devising the steps that could salvage the deal.

Michel, for his part, laid emphasis likewise on the need to save the nuclear deal and ensure its complete implementation on the part of all the signatories. He reiterated Europe’s sustained support for the accord in the aftermath of the US’ self-willed withdrawal.

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