Iran nuclear deal restoration talksThere is news that progress is being made in the negotiations to restore the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) in Vienna, Austria.
Delegates from the countries participating in the talks said the negotiations had reached an ‘important phase’ and predicted that the next few weeks would be a turning point in the negotiations.
According to foreign media on the 6th (local time), Iran and the US have shown opposing positions in relation to the Vienna summit in Austria.
Iran has consistently offered a positive outlook since talks resumed following five months of talks in November.
This is also interpreted as an attempt to quell the factors of unrest that may arise domestically in the event of a failure to reach an agreement.
Conversely, the US and other western participants (UK, France, Germany) took a negative stance, saying ‘Iran is asking for too much’.
US State Department Spokesperson Ned PriceThe US has also put pressure on Iran by taking a tough stance that it can consider ‘other options’ if negotiations fail.
However, recently, the US has shown a change in its evaluation of the talks.
“There has been some progress in recent talks,” State Department spokeswoman Ned Price told reporters on the 4th. “We look forward to further progress in negotiations this week.”
However, spokesperson Price said that there are core issues and differences of opinion remain, and he was wary of premature optimism.
It is the first time since the talks began in April last year that the US has taken a positive stance on the Iran nuclear deal, albeit on a limited basis.
Deputy Minister Ali Bagherikani, who leads the Iranian delegation, reiterated that negotiations are proceeding positively in a media interview in Vienna on the 6th.
“If the participating countries seriously discuss issues related to the lifting of sanctions, verification and guarantees, we will be able to reach an agreement sooner than later,” said Vice Minister Bagherikani.
Iranian nuclear negotiator (right) leaving the meeting roomMikhail Ulyanov, head of the Russian delegation, said on Twitter that the meeting was “slow, but making steady progress”.
Choi Jong-gun, 1st Vice Foreign Minister, who visited Vienna to discuss the issue of Iran’s frozen assets in Korea related to the restoration of the JCPOA, also reportedly met with European delegations and agreed that the negotiations had reached an “important phase”.
It is not known to what extent the West and Iran have narrowed their differences in negotiations.
In addition to the JCPOA reached in 2015, the US has insisted that Iran’s ballistic missiles and support for armed forces be included in its negotiations.
Iran is said to want the lifting of all sanctions and a “guarantee” that sanctions will not be applied once more, even if the US regime changes.
Iran and the P5+1 countries (US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany) have been negotiating restoration since April last year.
In particular, Iran is communicating indirectly rather than directly with the United States, which unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018.
They held the eighth round of talks since the 27th of last month, and following taking a break for the new year, they resumed negotiations on the 3rd of this month. The parties have agreed to finalize the negotiations by February.
Choi Jong-gun, 1st Vice Foreign Minister and Special Envoy to Iran Robert Marley Mi[연합뉴스]
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