Iran FM: JCPOA revival talks on right path; agreement possible
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has voiced optimism over prospects of diplomatic efforts to remove Washington’s anti-Iran sanctions, saying the talks on sanctions removal are on the right path.
Speaking to the IRIB on Monday, Amir-Abdollahian said an agreement on the revival of the 2015 US-abandoned nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), will be within reach if the US acts realistically and proceeds with the path agreed upon in recent messages.
He further said that a relatively common understanding has been reached, adding that a final agreement would be possible whenever Iran’s redlines are completely observed and it is possible for the country to enjoy the full economic benefits of the JCPOA.
“We are optimistic,” said Amir-Abdollahian. “Currently, we have reached a point where there is a common understanding on various issues and this will help us act better and faster in the final steps of the agreement.”
The chief Iranian diplomat also said that the US did not have a proper understanding of the situation in the past but it is “currently engaging in the exchange of messages with a better understanding.”
The United States, under former president Donald Trump, abandoned the JCPOA in May 2018 and reinstated unilateral sanctions that the deal had lifted.
The talks to salvage the agreement kicked off in the Austrian capital of Vienna in April last year, months after Biden succeeded Trump, with the intention of examining Washington’s seriousness in rejoining the deal and removing anti-Iran sanctions.
Despite notable progress, the US indecisiveness and procrastination caused multiple interruptions in the marathon talks.
In a phone call with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Sunday night, the Iranian foreign minister said Tehran and Washington have exchanged more messages in order to bring their views closer on the JCPOA restoration and removal of anti-Iran sanctions.
Amir-Abdollahian added that the messages were exchanged through a mediator while he was in New York to attend the 77th United Nations General Assembly summit.
