After being expected to arrive in the Austrian capital from Spain, where he began a European tour two days ago, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif's visit was canceled, as announced by the Austrian Foreign Ministry on Saturday. They clarified that this change or cancellation would not affect "the traditionally good relations and open dialogue with Iran." This decision came after Austrian media reported that Zarif canceled his visit to Austria at the last moment due to the raising of the Israeli flag on the Austrian Foreign Ministry building.
Ongoing Negotiations
It is noteworthy that Zarif had previously stated that his tour was not linked to the nuclear talks but had been planned in advance. Meanwhile, negotiations have continued unabated in their fourth round in Vienna for nine days, racing to reach an agreement before May 21, the deadline for international inspectors' work in Iran, although progress remains slow amidst waning optimism for a quick consensus.
Crucial Moment without Breakthrough
European sources confirmed to "Al Arabiya/Al Hadath" on Thursday that the parties meeting in the Austrian capital "are not close to achieving a breakthrough yet," adding, "When a breakthrough occurs, the talks will have ended." However, it was clarified at that time that the international delegations had reached a crucial point in the negotiations, noting that "the nuclear commitments are clear, and what Iran needs to do is well-known." It was also mentioned that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, had been invited to participate in one of the sessions to leverage his expertise regarding the nuclear commitments.
The nuclear talks began in early April between Iran and European nations, with indirect American participation. The international delegations have convened for four rounds thus far without reaching an agreement to revive the deal made in 2015. Despite expressing cautious optimism about the progress of these rounds, most participants concurred that the road ahead is difficult and long.
