Iran’s Shamkhani Insists on Solid Deal in Vienna Given US’ Breaches, EU’s Inaction

By Staff, Agencies

Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani highlighted the necessity for a reliable and balanced agreement in the Vienna talks aimed at the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, citing America’s long record of violating commitments and the European inaction in regard to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA].

A group of Iranian lawmakers had a special meeting with Shamkhani at the secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council in Tehran on Wednesday to get briefed on the latest developments in the Vienna talks about the termination of sanctions and saving the JCPOA.

Informing the lawmakers about the priorities that the team of Iranian nuclear negotiators have taken into account in the course of Vienna talks, Shamkhani emphasized the necessity of addressing a number of the outstanding issues which the parties have not still agreed upon.

“The bitter experiences learned from the US’ breaches and Europe’s inaction have made it inevitable to ensure the requirements of formation of a reliable, balanced and sustainable agreement,” he added.

Shamkhani also emphasized that Iran’s main strategy is to push for the removal of sanctions and focus on the development of mechanisms to neutralize the sanctions. “Fortunately, very good measures have been taken in this regard.”

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.

The US unilaterally left the JCPOA in May 2018 under former president Donald Trump. The Vienna talks began on a promise by Trump’s successor, Joe Biden, to rejoin the deal and repeal the so-called maximum pressure campaign against Iran. Biden, however, has so far failed to undo Trump’s own undoing of Barack Obama’s Iran policy, which led to the JCPOA in June 2015.

The eighth round of the Vienna talks began on December 27 with a focus on the removal of all sanctions that the United States had imposed on Iran after its unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA. The US is not allowed to directly attend the talks due to its pullout in 2018 from the deal with Iran.