Under the title "Tehran Insists on Lifting Sanctions… But Before or After the Agreement?", the Al Arabiya news site reported that Iran continuously asserts its commitment to lifting the sanctions imposed after the previous U.S. administration withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Two weeks ahead of the resumption of the seventh round of nuclear talks in Vienna, several Iranian officials reiterated this condition. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and chief negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani, in an interview with CNN last night, reaffirmed his country's stance and conditions regarding the upcoming negotiations. He insisted that the main issue in the forthcoming talks with the United States is the lifting of what he describes as "illegal sanctions against Iran."
When asked if he expects the sanctions to be lifted before the agreement at the negotiating table in the Austrian capital or during the discussions, he clarified that it could naturally occur during negotiations; however, he expressed his belief that this point should be "conclusive or agreed upon even before starting the negotiations."
It is noteworthy that Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian had expressed, two days ago, his country's readiness to reach a "good understanding" in the negotiations aimed at reviving the agreement regarding its nuclear program, slated to resume on November 29, 2021. He considered that the return of all parties to their commitments is a "fundamental and important principle."
Iranian Conditions
Earlier this week, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced the conditions and objectives of the anticipated talks, demanding the complete lifting of U.S. sanctions imposed since the American withdrawal from the agreement in 2018, as well as discussing a mechanism for verifying their lifting, in addition to ensuring that Washington does not withdraw again from any future agreement or understanding.
Bagheri clarified in statements to state television late Tuesday night that Tehran would not renegotiate its nuclear program in Vienna, considering that the agreement on it was completed five years ago. He also emphasized that the discussions would focus on "the repercussions of the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear agreement and the sanctions it imposed" following its unilateral withdrawal.
