Page 9 - MEOG Week 02 2022
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MEOG POLICY & SECURITY MEOG
Signs that Iran may be preparing
for relaunch of nuclear deal
IRAN SIGNS coming out of Tehran indicate Iranian realities of the scene.”
officials may be preparing the public in case However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokes-
an agreement is struck with major powers to man, Saeed Khatibzadeh, on January 10 rejected
relaunch the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of speculation that Tehran was prepared to sign an
Action (JCPOA), Al-Monitor noted on January interim agreement, saying: “We want a durable
10. and reliable agreement and any agreement that
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khame- does not have these two criteria is not on the
nei, who has the final say on all state matters, said agenda for us.”
in his most recent speech: “Not submitting to an Khatibzadeh continued, “We all have to be
arrogant and bullying enemy is one of the prin- certain that America’s return [to the original
ciples of the Islamic revolution, but negotiating, deal] is verified and guaranteed and the cycle of
speaking and cooperating in certain areas with sanctions have to be removed — none of these
the enemy does not mean submitting to them.” can happen with an interim agreement.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Ab- A difficulty for Iran is that US President Joe
dollahian has been signalling in his interviews Biden cannot guarantee to Tehran that should
that the ongoing talks in Vienna are headed in a he take Washington back into the JCPOA, and
positive direction. in the process of doing so lift sanctions against
Speaking to Iranian media, Amir-Abdolla- Iran, his successor will not reverse his decision.
hian said: “Currently we assess the Vienna talks French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian
as positive and moving forward.” He noted that said on January 7 that the talks were on a “rather
while initially the United States had “unaccept- positive path” but emphasised the need for a
able demands,” they have now “adapted to the speedy conclusion.
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