The atmosphere surrounding the nuclear talks in recent hours has been marked by conflicting statements. A senior European diplomatic source confirmed yesterday that the Iranian delegation agreed to negotiate based on what was last agreed upon between negotiators in June (the sixth round), indicating the disregard for Iranian proposals made last week. In contrast, Iran's chief negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, hinted otherwise, speaking of a "false atmosphere."
Following his meeting with the Austrian Foreign Minister in Vienna yesterday evening, Bagheri tweeted that creating a false atmosphere outside of the negotiation room would not affect the seriousness of the negotiators. He also claimed that “his country’s responsible behavior kept the nuclear agreement alive,” adding that “dishonest reports from outside the negotiation room will not weaken Tehran's resolve to reach a deal that guarantees its rights and interests.” He confirmed during his meeting with the Austrian Foreign Minister their “seriousness and good faith” in the talks.
### Iranian Proposals
The conflicting reports regarding whether the drafts previously presented by the Iranian delegation, which faced criticism and rejection from European and American sides, are under discussion have continued. An Iranian source, according to the Fars News Agency, claimed that the European troika countries had retreated from their positions and entered negotiations on these proposals. The source alleged that Western parties “are now constrained by Iran's initiative and have submitted to the reality.”
This came after Ali Bagheri Kani stated earlier yesterday that his country remained committed to the position announced last week when talks with European and American officials broke down, accusing Iran of putting forth new demands and retreating from compromises reached during the previous six rounds. In response to a question about whether there was discussion regarding the new proposals Iran presented last week, he told Reuters, “Yes, the drafts we proposed last week are being discussed in meetings with other parties.”
### Sticking Points
An European source indicated that Tehran seemingly agreed to continue talks from where they left off in June. He clarified that the draft from June 20 is the common ground to work on, noting that 7 or 8 points are still under discussion in the June text, confirming that this text is the future of any agreement here in Vienna. It is worth mentioning that the second phase of the seventh round of nuclear talks resumed on the ninth of this month after a five-day pause requested by Western countries for consultations, following the Iranian delegation's proposal which Europeans and Americans described as undermining the principle of negotiation and representing a significant retreat from what was agreed upon in previous rounds.
