It’s not clear yet what the response included. But Iran said it carefully reviewed the EU text and responded in such a way as to facilitate reaching a deal in Vienna. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has said that Iran showed much flexibility to streamline the talks and that now it’s the U.S.’s turn to respond in kind.

“America knows very well how much flexibility we have shown, now it is the turn of the American side to be flexible. In the recent Vienna negotiations, the American side expressed its verbal flexibility on two issues. This should be in writing,” Amir Abdollahian said.

On Sunday, President Ebrahim Raisi implied that Iran cannot show further flexibility and that it will stick to its rights in the talks in Vienna over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“We will not neglect the rights of the nation in any meeting and negotiations. The government will try to improve the country and resolve the problems with strength. We will not tie people’s living to any external factor and will diligently pursue solving the problems of the country and people,” he said, addressing the 17th World Mosque Day meeting held on Sunday morning at the Organization of Islamic Culture and Communication.

Raisi underlined that Iran is currently facing a war of wills in which the enemy must be defeated. Despite the sanctions and threats, he averred the government will continue the work seriously. “I say with belief and accurate knowledge of the capacities and capabilities that the future is bright for the country. Today, the war is a war of wills, and the Iranian nation has determined to defeat its enemies, and the Almighty God will definitely help the Iranian nation,” he continued.

While Iran has made up its mind and did its part in the negotiations, the Biden administration seems to be torn and unable to make decisions. Since last week, the U.S. has been tight-lipped about its response to the Iranian response and continues to be cagey about the next steps that it’s willing to take.

The Biden administration’s silence could presage its procrastination.  According to press reports, the U.S. has informed Israel that a deal with Iran is not as imminent as it is thought to be. “A deal might be closer than it was two weeks ago but the outcome remains uncertain as some gaps remain. In any case, it doesn’t seem to be imminent,” a U.S. official told Axios, describing a message the Biden administration sent to Israel to reassure the Israelis over the possible deal with Iran.

Iran has said the U.S. response could initiate a new stage in Vienna. In his recent phone conversation with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi, Amir Abdollahian underscored Iran’s goodwill and seriousness about reaching a good and lasting agreement. He said after receiving Washington’s response, if Iran is assured that it will enjoy full economic benefits from the deal and that its red lines are respected, all parties will enter a new stage in Vienna, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

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Amirabdollahian made the remarks in a joint press conference with the European Union foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, in Tehran on Saturday as the bloc seeks to break an impasse between the parties to the deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), over the agreement’s revival and the removal of sanctions against Iran.

“We are ready to resume the Vienna talks within the next days,” Iran’s top diplomat said.

He expressed hope that the U.S. would “this time” pursue a “realistic and fair approach” and act responsibly.

Iranian officials do not directly negotiate with Americans as the United States unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions against Iran. During the talks in Vienna, which have been on hold since mid-March, US negotiators communicated with Iranians through European intermediaries.

The Iranian foreign minister said he held “detailed, precise and deep” talks with Borrell on the JCPOA revival negotiations, adding, “We are going to break the stalemate in the Vienna talks and end the tension that has existed in recent days.”

Borrell, for his part, said talks on reviving the JCPOA will resume soon in the coming days.

“We are expected to resume talks in the coming days and break the impasse. It has been three months and we need to accelerate the work. I am very happy about the decision that has been made in Tehran and Washington,” the top EU diplomat said.

EU Foreign Policy Chief also published a tweet after the press conference reporting the facilitation of the negotiations: “In meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, we agreed on resumption of negotiations between Iran and US in the coming days, facilitated by my team, to solve the last outstanding issues.”

The 8th round of talks in the Capital of Austria between Iran and other parties in the framework of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) resumed on December 7, 2021.

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“In the negotiations, things are going well, and the negotiating team is keeping the president and the Supreme National Security Council and others informed, they are making decisions and moving forward. Our negotiating team has so far resisted the excessive demands of the other side, and God willing, it will continue to do so,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with high ranking officials in Tehran on Tuesday.

The leader noted that the United States was the party that broke its promises under the 2015 nuclear deal and has now reached a dead end.

The Leader called on Iranian officials not to tie planning for the country to the outcome of the talks in Vienna.

Stating that the nuclear issue is now being highly considered in diplomacy, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution said that the country’s diplomacy is on the right track.

He also referred to the Saudi-led war in Yemen asking the Saudis why they are refusing to end a war they know they cannot win.

“Given the efforts of the Yemeni people, with the courage that their leaders show, with the practical initiatives that they have in different sectors, there is no chance of victory. So why does a war in which there is no chance of victory continue? Find yourself a way out of this war,” Ayatollah Khamenei stated, addressing Saudi officials.

On the Palestinian issue, the leader said despite the policies of the Americans and the policies of the American followers who wanted the issue of Palestine to be forgotten, the Palestinian issue is alive.

“Today, the Palestinian youth in the 1948 lands, not in distant lands, in the very center of occupied Palestine have awakened, are moving, making efforts, working, and this will continue. Undoubtedly, it will continue, and by God’s grace, according to God’s promise, victory will be with the Palestinian people,” Ayatollah Khamenei stated.

The Leader stated that all the problems of the country can definitely be solved. In explaining various aspects of the slogan of the year, he said, “The system of power in the Islamic Republic and its various achievements in different areas has turned Iran into an attractive role model for nations. Making the people lose hope and making them feel we have come to a dead-end situation is an act of oppression against the people and the Revolution.”

Referring to the good direction pursued by the diplomacy of the country, he said, “The officials should not wait at all for the nuclear issue to be resolved. Based on the realities of the country, they should plan and take action to solve the problems in the country.” Imam Khamenei described the officials in charge of the negotiations as being revolutionary, pious, diligent individuals. He explained, “The Minister of Foreign Affairs and the other officials involved in the negotiations deliver detailed reports to centers within the country. It is alright to criticize and evaluate their performance provided that such opinions are devoid of distrust and pessimism. As I have frequently said before, such opinions should not undermine the individuals involved or cause the people to lose hope.”

Expressing his satisfaction with the resistance of the negotiating team to the other sides’ aggression and avarice, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution stated, “The other side withdrew from the JCPOA and broke its commitments. Now they feel helpless and have reached a dead end. But the Islamic Republic will pass through this stage as it has passed through many stages before this by relying on its people.”

Expressing his satisfaction with the widespread presence of the youth in the managerial system of the country, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution called on all officials to beware of two important harms, namely arrogance and passivity. He explained, “Arrogance due to one’s position, achievements, God’s Grace or any other thing will be the beginning of one’s personal, social and professional decline. It will cause officials to drift away from the people as a result of one’s illusions.”

Pointing to passivity as being the second harm, His Eminence said, “Passivity means having a sense of being at a dead end. It is the opposite of arrogance, and it is very dangerous. The enemies are trying to inject this into society and officials. On the basis of God’s irreversible promise, the way to confront this plot of the enemy is patience and piety. Patience means not becoming tired and fleeing the arena, and piety means being vigilant of oneself and watching the enemy carefully.”

He stressed that piety has a vast scope and that it has a different meaning in different areas, such as the areas of economy, diplomacy and security. He added, “Today, making the people hopeless and injecting a sense of being in a dead-end situation is an act of oppression against the people, the country and the Revolution.”

Referring to some of the negative indexes regarding the economy of the country, Imam Khamenei said, “Problems and issues exist, but they are solvable. The criteria for judging the country and its achievements should not be confined to economic factors, and we should consider other factors as well.”

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution also stated, “Despite the negative indexes regarding the economy, there are signs of success in this area too. An example of this is the resilience of the country’s economy in the face of unprecedented sanctions.”

Elsewhere in his statements, he touched on the slogan of the year and brought up some points regarding it. He referred to some people’s viewpoint that being knowledge-based and creating employment is incompatible with one another and explained, “It is true that with progress in technology, there will be less need for manpower. However, this does not hold true for our country which has many untapped, unexploited capacities in downstream areas. By making production knowledge-based in these areas, employment opportunities will increase by several times.”

He stated that the result of knowledge-based production will be an improvement in the quality of the workforce and the employment of the educated youth. In addition, he said, “Unfortunately, a high percentage of the graduates in the country are working in occupations not related to their field of study. But with the expansion of knowledge-based companies, the quality of the workforce will improve and the [educated] elite will no longer need to be employed in occupations of little value.”

The post Negotiators to Resist Excessive Demands in Vienna Talks appeared first on Iran News Daily.

In part of the letter, while thanking the efforts of the negotiating team to lift the sanctions and emphasizing the principles of dignity, wisdom and expediency and past experiences, the MPs cautioned the president over a few notes including guarantees that the U.S. would not quit the nuclear agreement, officially called the JCPOA, again.

The full text of the letter is as follows:

“…while thanking the efforts of your Excellency and the negotiating team to resolve the problems related to the nuclear agreement imposed by some countries, especially the United States, as representatives of the people in the Majlis, and based on legal and supervisory duties and in the framework of the principle of dignity, wisdom, and expediency and in view of the experiences of previous years, it is essential that current and future negotiations be conducted in a manner that takes into account the following notes:

1- The experience of previous negotiations shows that the unwillingness of the United States and the negotiating parties to provide the necessary guarantees, not only did not serve the national interests of the country, but also caused the failure of the agreement due to U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA and damaged the Iranian people’s interests.

Therefore, in the new negotiations, it is necessary for the United States to guarantee a law that will not withdraw from the JCPOA, and to approve the agreement in a completely legal manner in its decision-making institutions, such as Congress, so as not to hinder its implementation in the future.

2- One of the main conditions of the negotiations is that the United States would not threaten Iran after the agreement, and the existence of the snapback mechanism practically means maintaining the threat and failure of the negotiations, so it is necessary to obtain the necessary guarantees that the snapback mechanism would not be activated through empty excuses.

3. Unfortunately, even during the negotiations, the United States imposes new sanctions against the individuals, entities and various sections of the country, which indicate a destructive intention in the course of the negotiations. So obviously in the negotiations, it is clear that without this guarantee, the problem of sanctions will remain the same and, as a result, will harm political and economic interests, as well as the national credibility of the country.

4. The Islamic Republic of Iran has the right to export oil to any country and to any extent agreed between the parties and within the framework of the quota set by OPEC before the imposition of sanctions and according to the situation of the Islamic Republic of Iran and receive the income through the banking system.

5- Transferring the financial resources of the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the resources obtained from the sale of oil and the blocked resources from all countries is the absolute right of the Islamic Republic and the negotiating parties must remove the obstacles in this direction. In this regard, any obstacle to the conversion of currencies and also hindering the attraction of investment in the Islamic Republic of Iran is prohibited and is not accepted by the Iranian people. The right to verification is also in the hands of the Iranian government.

Articles 6 and 7 of the Law on “Strategic Action to Lift Sanctions and Protect the Rights of the Iranian Nation” also stipulate that Iran would fulfill its obligations on the condition that full banking relations would be established, export barriers would completely be removed, all Iranian oil and oil products would be sold, foreign exchange income from selling oil and oil products would return fully and quickly, and a report of these measures would be submitted to the Majlis and the representatives would approve of it.

On this basis, verbal promises, including the words of the U.S. president, can certainly not be used as a guarantee. The U.S. and other Western countries will not have the right to withdraw from the JCPOA, apply the snapback mechanism and impose new sanctions – or re-impose lifted sanctions. Prior to the lifting of the oil and banking sanctions and their full verification by Iran and the approval of the Majlis, no remedial measures in the nuclear field should be done by the government of the Islamic Republic.

The Majlis representatives, while supporting the revolutionary government, closely monitor the negotiations, and without a doubt, the government and the Majlis agree on the protection of national interests. The Majlis and the red lines drawn by the establishment will support the interests of the Iranian people.

We wish Your Excellency and the servants of the establishment success for serving the dear people.”

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“All of us should not forget that what we are facing today is not an administration that wants to perform its duties, but rather, one that seeks to exploit legal means in order not to honor its obligations,” Saeed Khatibzadeh said at a weekly press conference in the Iranian capital city of Tehran on Monday.

Khatibzadeh further said the Vienna talks have come to a grinding halt because of such an American approach.

“The United States is trying to hold the remaining issues hostage to its internal affairs. We will not wait forever … The United States must make a political decision,” he said.

“The U.S. is responsible for the current pause in the talks and its [possible] protraction in the coming days. The solution is in the White House too. [The US] must respond logically to Iran’s rational demands, which have been approved by the P4+1 group of countries, so that we can go back to Vienna,” the Iranian diplomat added.

Khatibzadeh said an agreement is “very much within reach” if the U.S. becomes fully aware that Iran will neither abandon its red lines nor back down from its demands.

The spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry made it clear that the top issue in the Vienna talks is for Iran to be able to fully reap the economic benefits promised under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – as the deal is officially called.

Khatibzadeh further explained that Tehran has delivered clear messages to Washington via European Union deputy foreign policy chief Enrique Mora, but has yet to receive a new response from Americans.

He said the 63-year-old Spanish diplomat was carrying a message from the US during his visit to Iran last month.

“Our message, responses, and demands were crystal clear … Mr. Mora left Tehran with messages and answers from Iran, and we are still waiting for the answers of the other side, but no new answer has been received yet,” Khatibzadeh said.

He also noted that the imposition of illegal sanctions has become part of US policies, stressing that the Biden administration has followed in the footsteps of its predecessor.

“The United States must accept the fact that it must enter negotiations on the basis of equal footing,” he emphasized.

The foreign ministry spokesman also said that Iran welcomes a ceasefire in Yemen and has been waiting months for it.

Khatibzadeh responded about the violation of the ceasefire in Yemen and said that it had not been confirmed by Yemen’s National Government yet.

What is important is that Iran has been encouraging Saudi Arabia to stop taking action for months, he added.

Khatibzadeh had expressed hope that the move would begin a complete lifting of the blockade, a permanent ceasefire, and a political solution to the Yemeni crisis.

Now, the ceasefire in Yemen must be accompanied by Yemeni conversations inside the country and accessing humanitarian aid for them, Khatibzadeh said.

Regarding Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian’s phone talk with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, Khatibzadeh, pointed out that this conversation was about Yemen’s situation too.

Khatibzadeh also referred to Afghanistan’s situation and expressed concern about the women and children deprived of their fundamental rights.

He added that Afghanistan’s government must take responsibility so that Afghanistan can overcome this crisis.

Khatibzadeh, once again, emphasized forming a comprehensive government in Afghanistan and said that the Afghan people are Iran’s priority.

The post U.S. Responsible for Halt in Vienna Talks appeared first on Iran News Daily.

After a week of diplomatic blame-game between Russia and the West over who’s throwing a wrench into the Vienna talks, prospects for the imminent conclusion of the talks have become bleak due to Biden dithering over the last remaining issues.

After the war in Ukraine broke out, the European negotiators in Vienna accused Russia of preventing the conclusion of the talks for fears that the possible resumption of Iran’s oil exports would make it easy to drive Russian oil and gas out of European markets.

Russia categorically rejected the accusation and, together with Iran, pointed the finger of the blame on Washington for refraining from making political decisions required for concluding the talks.

Iran says it has made all the tough decisions that are necessary for advancing the talks. Over the course of the talks, Iran provided innovative solutions to a number of thorny issues such as guarantees and verification measures. But the U.S. kept refusing the proposals all while refraining from coming up with innovative solutions.

In a phone conversation with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian addressed the latest developments concerning the negotiations in Vienna. He told the world’s top diplomat that the U.S. needs to take action to help conclude the talks.

While Iran says a deal in Vienna is imminent, the U.S. keeps dampening hopes for a deal. Amir Abdollahian told Guterres that the negotiations are about to result in a deal. “We are close to an agreement in the negotiations and we have conveyed our proposals on the remaining issues through the European Union’s top negotiator to the U.S. side, and the ball is now in the U.S. court,” he said.

Guterres also described the important negotiations in Vienna as significant and expressed hope that the parties to the talks will reach an agreement as soon as possible.

The U.S., however, has a different assessment of the current state of play in Vienna. U.S. special envoy for Iran Robert Malley told CNN’s Becky Anderson in Doha last week that a nuclear deal “is not around the corner and is not inevitable” due to outstanding issues that “matter deeply” to parties involved in the talks, one of which is Tehran’s demands regarding the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Iran has demanded that the U.S. remove the IRGC from its so-called Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) because, many in Iran and beyond, believe that the Trump administration’s decision to designate the IRGC as an FTO was mainly driven by a political motive to make it harder, if not impossible, for any future administration to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The FTO designation has taken a center stage at the talks because of a number of reasons. First, many believe that the designation is politically motivated and is designed to prevent Iran from fully benefitting from any relief from sanctions. Second, it could be used by the U.S. to escalate military tensions in the region.

Mohammad Marandi, a professor at the University of Tehran, said the designation matters because it gives the U.S. a pretext to militarily target the group, according to CNN.

“When the United States and Iran both have a presence [in the Persian Gulf] and the two sides consider the other navy to be a terrorist organization, then are no lines for communication, and that could create major problems,” he said.

The designation also signifies the internal weakness of the Biden administration which fears the political fallout of removing the IRGC from the FTO list. But this has nothing to do with Iran. It is Biden’s problem, not Iran’s.

Iran has done its part and is ready to conclude the talks if the U.S. shows seriousness. The Biden administration has been accused of trying to link the Vienna talks to developments in the region, a move that would almost certainly complicate the talks and further postpone their conclusion.

The post Lack of American political decision has brought Vienna talks to a halt appeared first on Iran News Daily.

The lawmakers urged the negotiating team in the talks with the P4+1 group of countries in Vienna to protect the fundamental elements of the country’s nuclear program as the “strongest guarantee” that the United States will never repeat the violation of its obligations as per the landmark 2015 Iran deal, Press TV reported.

“We call on the negotiating team to seriously pursue obtaining adequate economic, technical and political guarantees from the American side to ensure that this country will not repeat its illegal withdrawal from the agreement,” the legislators said in a statement issued on Tuesday.

It also stressed the importance of demanding compensation from the United States for the damages it has inflicted on the Iranian people’s livelihood.

The Iranian lawmakers called on the negotiating team not to be bound by deadlines set by the West, follow up on national interests and main demands, and observe the country’s red lines, without wasting time.

“Now that the Ukraine crisis has led to an increase in the West’s need for Iran’s energy, America’s need for a reduction in oil prices must not be met without the fulfillment of Iran’s demands,” they said.

The Iranian lawmakers urged a “comprehensive and effective” removal of the US sanctions, rejecting any pretexts such as the non-nuclear label of the restrictions or their being unrelated to the 2015 deal, officially named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

According to the statement, verification of the sanctions removal is a legitimate right of the Islamic Republic.

“Verification of the sanctions removal must be objective, accurate, and purely done by Iran. Weak statements of the United States and Europe should not suffice,” it said.

It added that the precise settlement of the safeguards issues between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is necessary in order to achieve a durable agreement in Vienna, and the UN nuclear watchdog must close the case of baseless claims against Iran.

The lawmakers said they would pursue any agreement which would enable Iran to enjoy all the economic benefits stipulated in the JCPOA and restore the Iranian nation’s rights.

While emphasizing the importance of sanctions removal, they said the key to solving the problems of the country’s economy is neutralizing the sanctions and called on the administration to adopt strategies to make that happen.

Iranian President Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi underlined on Tuesday that Iran won’t back down from its red lines in the talks in Vienna over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

Addressing a formal session of the Assembly of Experts, the president said, “We have not backed down and will not back down from any of [our] red lines.”

Referring to the issue of nuclear talks, the president explained the government’s strategy in this regard, “In the first step, the government seriously pursued the lifting of sanctions, and in the second step, it seeks to lift the sanctions in negotiations that are based on complete respect.”

Raisi emphasized, “The popular administration is following the nuclear talks in full accordance with the principles and framework set by the Supreme Leader and has not and will not back down from any of the announced red lines.”

The post Iranian lawmakers renew demand for guarantees in Vienna talks appeared first on Iran News Daily.

A few days ago, the Vienna talks were widely expected to culminate in a deal by Monday or Tuesday this week. Rumors had it that the foreign ministers of Iran and the P4+1 group of countries (China, Russia, France, and Britain plus Germany) were planning for an in-person signing ceremony in Vienna. Some reporters even claimed that the foreign minister have received invites in this regard.

But the optimistic outlook for the deal changed out of the blue, with the U.S. and Iran both underlining that a deal is not in the air at least for now.

Iranian officials said the reason for this is that the U.S. continues to hesitate to make political decisions needed to push the talks another step toward the finishing line.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in his weekly press briefing on Monday that the remaining issues in Vienna are very few and all awaiting a U.S. decision.

“The remaining differences are less than the number of fingers of one hand, if no one adds a new topic. They are all waiting for the U.S. response. If it has a rational approach and considers the concerns of the P4 + 1 and Iran, and an appropriate response is given by Washington, an agreement is available in the shortest possible time,” Khatibzadeh said.

He added, “The criterion for us is a good agreement, an agreement that takes into account the interests of the nation. And if it is done today, we are ready to do it today in Vienna.”

The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, reiterated the need for the U.S. to make political decisions.
“Prospect of a deal in Vienna Talks remains unclear due to Washington’s delay in making a political decision,” Shamkhani said on Twitter.

He added, “Priority of Iranian negotiators is to resolve remaining issues that are considered in the red line. Rapid access to a strong deal requires new initiatives from all parties.”

Some believe that the U.S. needs to make political decisions as soon as possible given the dramatic developments currently taking place in the world. Most issues in the talks have been resolved and the remaining issues can be settled quickly if the U.S. shows seriousness.

According to experts, the U.S. is in dire need to help quickly conclude the Vienna talks for a number of reasons. First, if the U.S. makes political decisions on Vienna talks, the return of Iran’s oil exports will help bring down the surging oil prices in the world. The U.S. is now desperately looking for an increase in oil output in order to stabilize the global oil markets. And Iran’s oil is a silver bullet.

Second, any further delay in concluding the talks could prompt some parties to present new demands.

Of course, presenting new demands does not mean that the talks would fail. But addressing the demands would require more time and energy.

Over the last few days, at least one such demand was presented by Russia, which called for guarantees from the U.S.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the sanctions the West imposed on Russia over Ukraine will create a problem for the Iran nuclear deal and demanded written guarantees from the U.S. that these sanctions won’t impede Russia-Iran cooperation in case the JCPOA is revived.

“We want an answer – a very clear answer – we need a guarantee that these sanctions will not in any way touch the regime of trade-economic and investment relations which is laid down in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action,” the Russian foreign minister said.

He added, “We have asked for a written guarantee … that the current process triggered by the United States does not in any way damage our right to free and full trade, economic and investment cooperation and military-technical cooperation with the Islamic Republic.”

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Iran’s chief negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, left Tehran for Vienna on Sunday night.  The talks in Vienna over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), are expected to resume immediately after the arrival of the top Iranian negotiator.

Before the departure of Bagheri Kani, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council held an important meeting on the Vienna talks to take stock of the state of the talks. The Council underlined the need to meet Iran’s legal and logical demands which are part of the country’s red lines, according to Nour News, a website close to the Council.

During the meeting, it was underlined that the remaining issues, which put the negotiations on the verge of “agreement or deadlock,” should be swiftly settled. Accepting any agreement by Iran depends on the settlement of these issues, according to Nour News.

The website also pointed to the issue of the timeline of the talks, saying that no timeline can hinder the continuation of negotiations, which will go on until a good agreement is reached. Nour News said media propaganda that the negotiations are running out of time should not be heeded.

In addition, a lawmaker has hinted that there are a number of issues whose settlement needs a clear decision on the part of the West, particularly the United States.

“The dialogues have gone a long way and an initial text has been prepared, this text is close to agreement; but there are still some issues that we should not expect an agreement until these issues are resolved,” said Abolfazl Amouei, who is a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.

He pointed out that a lot of issues have been resolved in the talks “but several issues that are part of Iran’s red lines are still unresolved and Iran’s views have not been met, and the Islamic Republic of Iran intends to insist on its red lines.”

According to Amouei, the remaining issues include the scope of sanctions relief, guarantees, verification, and differences between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The lawmaker said the Biden administration agreed to significantly lift sanctions imposed by the previous U.S. administration but it still refuses to lift all the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration in line with the so-called “maximum pressure” campaign.

Amouei described differences between Tehran and the IAEA as “political allegations” that could pose a challenge to agreement and that they should be somehow resolved in the negotiations.

Iran has said it wants a deal as soon as possible but before such a deal is done, the West should provide guarantees and agree to verification measures Iran demands to verify the lifting of sanctions.

The state of the talks was discussed by Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and Josep Borrel, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and chief coordinator of the Vienna talks.

In the telephone call, Borrell and Amir Abdollahian reviewed the latest developments in the Vienna talks.

The EU foreign policy chief outlined efforts by all parties to the negotiations, stressing that the Vienna talks have reached a critical stage that requires serious decisions by all sides.

Amir Abdollahian also praised the efforts of Borrell, as well as Enrique Mora, the EU’s chief negotiator in Vienna.

He also underlined that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s definite choice is to not cross its red lines.

Referring to Iran’s readiness to reach a good agreement with the P4+1 group of countries, he stressed the need for a political decision by the other side.

Amir Abdollahian added that Iran seeks a good agreement, but within the framework of its national interests and in line with its red lines in the negotiations. The Iranian foreign minister also called for a political solution to the Ukraine crisis.

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“Under no circumstances will we cross the red lines of the Islamic Republic in the Vienna talks and we will show our strong commitment to this issue,” he said in a joint press conference with his Omani counterpart, Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi, in Tehran on Wednesday.

“We believe that any negotiation requires to be useful and that there should be benefits for the great nation of Iran in that discussion.”

Amir-Abdollahian also said that the talks in the Austrian capital have reached a critical stage, adding that there are still few but very important issues to be solved in the course of the negotiations.

Iran, he added, is holding direct talks with the representatives of the P4+1 group of countries while exchanging non-papers with the US through European Union deputy foreign policy chief Enrique Mora.

“We receive many messages from US officials underlining the need for direct dialog. What matters to us is what will be the benefit of this dialog…. We have heard mostly positive words and messages from the American side, but so far it has not taken any practical steps to prove its goodwill,” he said.

“Therefore, we are optimistic about the Vienna talks. We hope that the few sensitive, important remaining issues will be settled in the coming days with the realism of the Western side.”

The Iranian foreign mister also spoke about the latest developments in Russian-Ukrainian relations, saying that unfortunately, the provocative behavior of NATO and the United States has made the situation in the northern region and around Iran worrying. He also urged all parties to end this crisis politically and peacefully.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the top Iranian diplomat said Tehran-Muscat relations are “on a good path” and hailed political ties as “exemplary and strategic” in the Persian Gulf region.

He further noted that the two countries have agreed to develop trade cooperation, expressing hope that Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi will visit Oman as soon as possible upon an invitation sent by Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.

The Omani foreign minister, for his part, emphasized that political relations between the two countries are based on mutual trust and respect as well as common interests.

He also said that he hopes Raisi will visit Oman in the near future so that the two countries will mark a new chapter in bilateral cooperation.

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