The European Union states that it is time for a decision. However, Iran seems to want to see more changes to the final text.
Tehran, Iran – An agreement on restoring Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers could be near after another round of negotiations led to a “final text” offered by the European Union.
The bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the latest indirect, EU-mediated talks between Iran and the United States – which this time also saw participation by representatives from China, Russia, France, Germany and the United Kingdom – focused on technical adjustments to a text he proposed on July 21.
“What can be negotiated has been negotiated, and it’s now in a final text,” Borrell wrote in a tweet late Monday after the talks concluded and negotiators headed back to their nations’ capitals for consultations.
“However, behind every technical issue and every paragraph lies a political decision that needs to be taken in the capitals. If these answers are positive, then we can sign this deal,” he said.
Russia’s chief negotiator, Mikhail Ulyanov, also confirmed reception of the final text, saying if Tehran and Washington have no objections, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the deal is formally known, can be restored.
Iran said Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian had a phone call with Borrell after the text was circulated, saying Iran’s “views and considerations” were conveyed to the bloc, and Tehran expects “seriousness” from all sides to achieve an agreement.
Negotiators from different sides expressed cautious optimism about prospects of restoring a deal the US unilaterally abandoned for 2018, saying that progress had been made after months of lull.
The Iranian side did not respond to the European narrative, which suggested that there were still some issues unresolved.
‘Reservations’
An unnamed senior foreign ministry official told state-run media on Monday that Iranian negotiators conveyed their “initial response and reservations” as soon as they received the European text, promising to convey additional views soon after returning to Tehran later Monday.
State media also quoted an unnamed official earlier as saying the sides are not yet “at a stage to finalise the text” as further discussions are required.
The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA), as part of its safeguards probe into several Iranian nuclear facilities, where man-made particles were discovered many years ago, is the main remaining issue.
Iran has stated that the probe must be closed in order to restore the JCPOA, but Western officials insist that this is a separate issue from negotiations on the nuclear deal. Unconfirmed reports suggest that there may be an agreement to ensure the investigation is completed, provided Iran cooperates fully with the nuclear watchdog.
Western media outlets have also quoted unnamed Western officials as saying Iran has abandoned its demand to take the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) off a US “terror” list, instead agreeing to discuss the issue after an agreement has been reached on the JCPOA.
Iranian state media has refuted this claim, claiming that Tehran has not abandoned any of the major positions in negotiations that began in April 2021.
In return for Iran’s stringent curbs on Iran’s nuclear program, the JCPOA granted sanctions relief. Tehran claims it is strictly peaceful.
Trump, then the US President, abandoned the deal in 2018 and imposed severe sanctions that were expanded by President Joe Biden. Iran responded by increasing its nuclear efforts. It is now enriching uranium at 60 percent using advanced centrifuges.
A State Department spokesperson said on Monday the United States stands ready to “quickly conclude a deal”.
Under anonymity, the spokesperson stated that Iran has repeatedly stated its willingness to return to mutual implementation. “Let’s see if their actions match their words.”
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