Iran: Removal of Sanctions Red Line in Vienna Talks

By Staff, Agencies 

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh reiterated on Monday that his country “will by no means compromise its principles on the necessity for the termination of sanctions and for benefiting from the 2015 nuclear deal in the course of Vienna negotiations on the revival of the agreement.”

In comments at a press conference, Khatibzadeh said the Iranian team of negotiators will head to Vienna Tuedsy to proceed with nuclear talks after holding the necessary consultations in Tehran.

Describing the removal of sanctions and Iran’s right to enjoy the advantages of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] as Tehran’s red line in the talks, the spokesman said Washington is expected to have made the requisite decisions.

“The US is expected to resume honoring its JCPOA commitments with a clear agenda,” he stated, adding, “There is no conceivable breakthrough except political decision in Washington.”

The Iranian spokesman also underlined that the people of Iran will never pay the cost of the American officials’ “destructive decisions” to withdraw from the JCPOA and violate the UN Security Council Resolution 2231.  

Stressing the need for the US to change its behavior and for the European parties to the JCPOA to stop inaction on the US’ unilateral and illegal sanctions against Iran, Khatibzadeh stressed they must prove that they are reliable actors in the international system.

Iran and the remaining participants to the JCPOA have been holding talks in Vienna since April last year with the aim of reviving the deal by bringing the US into full compliance.