Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi after talks in Vienna, Austria.
Photographer: Askin Kiyagan / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images
Photographer: Askin Kiyagan / Anadolu Agency / Getty Images
The United States and Iran came close to ending their confrontation over the nuclear deal abandoned by former President Donald Trump, with Washington calling the talks “constructive,” and the Islamic Republic said it was ready to discuss the details of how both parties can revive the affected 2015 agreement.
Jake Sullivan, United States The national security adviser told Fox News on Sunday that “talks in Vienna have been constructive in the sense that there is indeed an effort being made” and that the world powers were focused on re-establishing the agreement on the basis of ” compliance for compliance “.
His comments come after Iran’s top negotiator, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, injected fresh hope Saturday’s process, saying a “new understanding” was taking shape in the talks and that his country would begin work on a full-text draft for negotiators to discuss. Negotiators, which include the European Union, Russia and China, have said talks will continue this week.
World powers have been meeting in Vienna since April 9 to help the US and Iran chart a path to a restored nuclear deal and reduce tensions in the energy-rich Persian Gulf. The talks were almost derailed last week after Iran’s largest uranium enrichment facility was severely damaged in an attack that blamed Israel.
In response, the Islamic Republic drastically increased the levels at which it is enriching uranium (from 60% to 20%), which means it is closer than ever to obtaining quality fissile material. President Joe Biden harshly criticized the move, but pledged to continue talks.
Iran wants the U.S. to remove hundreds of sanctions that Trump imposed on its economy after taking office in 2017, including those it reinstated when it seceded from the nuclear deal. Araghchi said on Saturday Iran wants all the sanctions it hopes to remove from the U.S. to be formally listed and agreed upon.
Tehran insists the U.S. must take such measures before Iran agrees to reduce its atomic activity within the original terms of the nuclear deal. On Sunday, Sullivan said sanctions would be lifted once the United States had “clarity and confidence” that the Islamic Republic would reduce its nuclear work, sharply reduce enrichment and atomic activity.
“Until we have confidence in all these things United States he will not make any concessions, ”he said.
The nuclear deal, which imposed strict limits on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for easing sanctions, was a success for the Obama administration. Trump’s abandonment of the deal maintained long-standing enemy relations near the breaking point and convulsed the Persian Gulf with assassinations, attacks on power facilities and oil tanker confiscations.
The Islamic Republic began in 2019 to gradually increase its atomic activity – enriching uranium beyond the 3.67% limit allowed in the agreement – in response to Trump’s so-called “maximum pressure” strategy.
“The drafting of the text can begin now and the Iranian delegation has prepared and presented its text on the nuclear sphere and the lifting of sanctions,” Araghchi told Iranian state TV, warning that serious disagreements remained.
In an apparent additional sign of stress relief, the Financial Times reported on Sunday that senior officials from Saudi Arabia and Iran have held talks to repair relations. The newspaper cited three unidentified officials. The meeting in Baghdad on April 9 included discussions on recent attacks and another round of talks would follow next week, he said.
The report of the meeting reflects how a major change in US policy under Biden and its intention to re-enter the original 2015 nuclear deal sent a “clear signal” to Saudi Arabia that it should reject the demands to extend the terms of the nuclear deal to address its own rivalry and conflict with Iran over regional influence, according to Joost Hiltermann, director of the International Crisis Group’s Middle East and North Africa program .
“This fact made the Saudis realize that they would not have the kind of U.S. diplomatic protection at first that they were looking for,” he said, adding that if the nuclear deal is successfully restored, preliminary talks could pave the way for higher-level dialogue between Iran and Saudi Arabia on regional issues.
Earlier this week, Araghchi said Washington and Tehran had to specify the steps each should take to restore the 2015 agreement, including counting all Trump-era sanctions that Iran says the US should eliminate.
– With the assistance of Dominic Lau
(Updates with comments and quotes from analysts in the US)