The United States needs to reverse its course of action with regard to the 2015 nuclear deal and Iran will wait to see this change of behavior in a practical manner, a senior Iranian diplomat said, ahead of the resumption of the eighth round of talks on the revival of the landmark agreement in the Austrian capital Vienna.
“They must regain the Iranian nation’s trust and move back from the path they took,” Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a regular press briefing on Monday, IRNA reported.
Washington withdrew in 2018 from the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which curbed Iran’s nuclear program in return for the lifting of international sanctions.
It then reimposed sweeping sanctions that prompted Iranian leaders to roll back on JCPOA commitments in response.
Indirect negotiations started in Vienna in April to work out how both sides can return to their commitments.
The eighth round of talks took a short break last week and is scheduled to resume on Tuesday, according to a statement by the European Union External Action Service.
Participants will return to Vienna after consultations with their respective capitals to continue their discussions.
The EU coordinator of the talks said “a spirit of compromise is needed to take us back to full implementation.”
“In view of different undesirable trends undermining the JCPOA, there is a need to swiftly conclude these negotiations,” he tweeted.
Tehran’s Red Line
Khatibzadeh said Iran expects that the essential and required decisions will have been made by Washington, adding that the removal of sanctions and Iran’s benefiting from the economic aspects of the JCPOA are key issues and red lines for the Islamic Republic.
“Our expectation is that delegations, including the US, return with clear instructions for the implementation of their obligation under the JCPOA and lifting of sanctions,” he said, hoping that positive statements turn into commitments in practice.
Iran says it will reverse its nuclear steps once it verifies that American sanctions have been revoked practically.
The US on Friday said it was waiving sanctions on Iran’s civilian nuclear program in a technical step necessary to return to the JCPOA, although American officials denied Washington was granting Iran any concessions.
Khatibzadeh said the waivers were only concerned about nuclear activities and make up only a small part of what the American side is required to do.
“The US has decided to take a measure in the area that it wishes… Our serious focus is on Iran’s economic interests under the JCPOA and no move has been made in that regard,” he said.
In Vienna, Tehran also demands assurances that future US administrations will not violate the deal again.
US special envoy for Iran Robert Malley said in a recent interview that such guarantee is not possible in the American system, but the current administration hopes to ensure the sustainability of the JCPOA by showing that it is in mutual benefit of both countries.
The Iranian diplomat said Tehran and the other five parties insist that the US government must give proper assurances for the future.
“We cannot let the US government play with international order and leave companies which do business with Iran subject to the intimidation of the US monetary and financial system,” he said.
