Under the title "Critical Upcoming Hours in Vienna: Testing the Seriousness of the Iranian Delegation," Al Arabiya's website reported that "the coming days will allow for an assessment of the Iranians' seriousness and a decision on whether to continue the nuclear talks." The website noted that several European diplomats participating in the Vienna negotiations since last Monday confirmed this over the past hours.
As the third day of these talks approaches, the decisive hours that will reveal the seriousness and intentions of the Iranian delegation draw near, particularly following the suspicious statements made by their chief negotiator, Ali Bagheri, on Tuesday. Diplomats from France, Germany, and Britain—countries involved in the 2015 international agreement—warned in Vienna that "if the Iranians do not demonstrate a serious commitment, there will be a problem," emphasizing that "the next 48 hours will be extremely important." They hinted at the possibility of halting negotiations should there be no progress.
In this atmosphere, meetings will resume today, Wednesday, to discuss Iran's return to compliance with the restrictions outlined in the nuclear agreement, as previously announced by European Union coordinator Enrique Mora. Mora expressed cautious optimism about the talks yesterday, while European diplomats appeared more cautious afterward, with one stating, "We haven't breathed a sigh of relief or felt that a disaster has ensued." However, the senior European official made it clear that there is no time for pleasantries in the seventh round of nuclear negotiations, which resumed after a five-month hiatus. He stated, "We do not have the luxury of exchanging compliments after having waited for five months... Work must begin quickly." He also clarified yesterday that it is unnecessary to set an artificial deadline for this round, which may be prolonged.
It is noteworthy that discussions on the second day of negotiations (Tuesday) primarily focused on sanctions. Russian envoy Mikhail Ulyanov explained that work teams were busy compiling a list of U.S. sanctions to be lifted. Tehran has repeatedly stressed that the goal of returning to the negotiating table is the effective and verifiable lifting of sanctions. The talks, which resumed in the Austrian capital two days ago, began last April and continued for six rounds before halting in June after reaching an understanding on several important issues. However, some points remain unresolved, most of which relate to U.S. sanctions, especially those imposed following the withdrawal of the previous U.S. administration under Donald Trump from the agreement.
