The Iranian Foreign Ministry has announced that it is unwilling to attend EU talks with the US on the future of Iran’s nuclear deal, because Washington has not done enough to lift sanctions against Tehran.
The Biden administration, committed to returning to the 2015 nuclear deal, had said it was willing to attend talks, but would discuss what it would take to lift U.S. sanctions on the negotiating table, not earlier. . He said it was necessary to know what measures Iran would accept to re-fulfill the agreement.
It is unclear whether the new impasse will be indefinite or whether mediators can still find a way to reassure Iran that it is worth attending talks in the future.
Iran has been deeply disappointed that the United States has not taken more unilateral steps to return to the nuclear deal that Donald Trump left in 2018.
The United States, along with European powers, is likely to try to table a motion of censure against Iran at a meeting of the governing body of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) this week in Vienna, a move that in turn it could cause Tehran to diminish its cooperation with UN nuclear inspectors even further.
Explaining Iran’s refusal to attend talks, Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Sunday: “Given the recent positions and actions of the United States and three European countries, the Islamic Republic of the United States “Iran does not consider this to be the time for an informal meeting proposed by the European coordinator of the UN Security Council.”
Khatibzadeh added: “There has been no change in the position and behavior of the United States yet, and the Biden administration has not only not abandoned Trump’s failed policy of maximum pressure, nor has it even announced its commitment to the fulfillment of its responsibilities in UN resolution 2231 “.
He said the implementation of the obligations of all parties in the nuclear deal signed in 2015 “is not a matter of negotiation and compensation, as all compensation was done five years ago. The way forward is very “The United States must end its illegal and unilateral sanctions and return to its commitments. This does not require negotiation or resolution by the IAEA Governing Board.”
He said Iran would keep in touch with EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell.
One possible avenue for talks would be for the United States to agree to lift restrictions on Iran’s access to foreign assets, including the billions deposited in South Korean and foreign banks. Iraq. Tehran claims that fear of U.S. sanctions has led banks in both countries to freeze more than $ 7 billion ($ 5 billion) of Iranian assets. Iran has been in contact with Iraq and South Korea over its release.