Page 7 - MEOG Week 34 2022

MEOG POLICY & SECURITY MEOG

Iran drops hang-ups

blocking JCPOA revival

IRAN THE US has claimed that Iran has dropped some issues that they have been holding onto from the
of its main demands on reinstating the nuclear beginning.”
deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action The official was also cited as saying that gaps
(JCPOA), struck with major powers in 2015. remain between the US and Iran on finding a
One of those shed demands was the insist- deal for a revived JCPOA and that “it could take
ence that UN atomic watchdog inspectors close a little longer” to come to a final agreement, if
some probes into Iran’s nuclear development one is possible.
programme, according to a senior US official The European Union’s foreign policy chief
cited by Reuters on August 22. Josep Borrell said on August 22 that he hoped
The report followed an Al-Monitor article that the US would this week give a positive
that told how on August 21, during a speech, response to an EU proposal drawn up for the
Iran’s hardline President Ebrahim Raisi, denied reinstatement of the JCPOA.
Tehran has made major concessions in talks to No nuclear deal might endanger peace in the
revive the nuclear deal. Middle East, with Iran seen as on the verge of
Raisi said that Iran has been able to get “a having the highly enriched uranium and kno-
considerable amount of its demands” from other whow to build at least a crude nuclear bomb and
countries since his administration came to office Israel sabre-rattling, saying it would take military
a year ago. “In no meeting or negotiation did we action should diplomacy not prove sufficient to
sell the rights of the people short,” he said, adding stop Tehran from developing a nuclear weapons
that his administration did not “tie the lives of capability.
the people to foreign factors”. In return for curbing its nuclear develop-
The official quoted by Reuters, however, ment programme to the point where inspectors
speaking on condition of anonymity, said that can guarantee it remains entirely civilian, Iran
although Tehran has been saying Washington would benefit from the removal of heavy eco-
has made concessions, Iran has dropped some nomic sanctions.
key demands. Prior to Borrell’s remarks, Iran’s For-
“They came back last week and basically eign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani
dropped the main hang-ups to a deal,” the offi- accused Washington of “procrastinating” in the
cial was further reported as saying, adding: “We negotiations.
think they have finally crossed the Rubicon and The Biden administration is facing strong
moved toward possibly getting back into the deal opposition from Republicans and some Demo-
on terms that [US] President [Joe] Biden can crats to striking an agreement to bring back the
accept. If we are closer today [to an agreement], JCPOA and November brings the US mid-term
it’s because Iran has moved. They conceded on elections.™

Week 34 24•August•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P7