With positive signals coming in regarding the revival of the nuclear agreement, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced that the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers is nearing completion, despite some unresolved provisions. Le Drian stated at a press conference in Doha on Monday, "We are getting close to reaching an agreement," according to Reuters. However, the French minister's statements contrast with a more pessimistic assessment provided by the United States on Sunday.
"It's not a given."
U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley expressed doubt on Sunday about the imminent nature of the nuclear agreement between world powers and Iran, dampening expectations after 11 months of talks in Vienna that have recently stalled. He noted that while negotiators are indeed close to a consensus, some issues are still pending, saying, "We are very close to achieving it, but the agreement is not at hand, and it is not a given." He also emphasized that the U.S. administration cannot provide guarantees about what any future administration may do, referencing Iran's demands for assurances that Washington will not withdraw from any new nuclear deal as it did during former President Donald Trump's administration.
"The Revolutionary Guard Will Remain Sanctioned"
While Tehran insists on removing the Revolutionary Guard from the terrorist list, Malley confirmed that U.S. sanctions on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard will remain regardless of the nuclear agreement or the status of these armed forces on the list of terrorist organizations. He added that "the Revolutionary Guard will remain subject to sanctions under U.S. law, and our perception of it will remain the same regardless of the agreement," clarifying that Washington has yet to decide on removing it from the terrorist organizations list.
Iranian Acknowledgment
It is worth noting that Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Abdullahian first officially revealed on Saturday that removing the U.S. "terrorist" designation from the Revolutionary Guard is one of the few remaining issues hindering an agreement. He stressed that the government wants to remove the designation, even though Revolutionary Guard leaders requested that it not be a "barrier" to the agreement, according to his claims. U.S. guarantees, which Tehran is clinging to, are also among these sticking points.
European Optimism
Talks that began in April 2021 between the Iranian delegation and the remaining countries in the 2015 agreement, with indirect U.S. involvement, stalled in June for months before resuming last November and continuing to this day to resolve some stalled issues on the negotiation table. However, they have reached their final stages, according to several European confirmations that have expressed optimism recently about the near revival of the nuclear agreement. On Saturday, European Union Foreign Minister Josep Borrell also reinforced the assertion that an agreement is close, saying, "We are very close, but there are some outstanding issues," adding, "I cannot say when or how, but it is a matter of days."
