Page 8 - MEOG Week 49 2021

MEOG POLICY & SECURITY MEOG

Impasse could see collapse of Vienna talks

IRAN THE prospect of the renewed Vienna talks to lift and on what Tehran would be required to
on restoring the 2015 nuclear deal collapsing do to bring it back into full compliance with the
seemed very real by the end of December 3 as JCPOA – posed a big problem. It was, said Mora,
Europe claimed that Iran had undone all previ- “unclear how these new gaps [in the negotiating
ous diplomatic progress while accelerating its positions] can be closed in a realistic timeframe
nuclear development programme. on the basis of Iranian drafts”.
Diplomats representing the E3, namely the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said:
three European powers at the talks – nuclear “What we’ve seen in the last couple of days is that
deal signatories Britain, France and Germany – Iran right now does not seem to be serious about
expressed their disappointment at the negotia- doing what’s necessary to return to compliance,
tions reaching an impasse in a statement reading: which is why we ended this round of talks in
“Tehran is walking back almost all of the diffi- Vienna.
cult compromises crafted after many months of “We’re going to be consulting very closely and
hard work [in the first phase of the talks]. Over carefully with all of our partners in the process
five months ago, Iran interrupted negotiations. itself... and we will see if Iran has any interest in
Since then, Iran has fast-forwarded its nuclear engaging seriously.”
programme […] it has backtracked on the dip- Iran’s top negotiator at the talks, Ali Bagheri
lomatic progress made.” Kani, was quoted by Iranian state broadcaster
The White House said Tehran did not bring IRIB as rejecting the European response to the
any “constructive proposals” to the renewed Iranian drafts, saying before he left Austria for
negotiations Iran: “There is no problem if the Europeans also
If the talks founder and Iran continues devel- provide drafts, and they can be discussed, but
oping its nuclear programme beyond the bounds they must be based on principles approved by
of the nuclear deal – also known as the JCPOA – both sides.”
it risks an attack by Israel, which is concerned at In an interview with Aljazeera, Bagheri Kani
how near the Iranians are to enriching uranium said Iran’s drafted proposals “cannot be rejected”
to a level of 90%, the level needed to provide as they were “based on the provisions of the 2015
fissile material in the production of a nuclear agreement”. A third draft “mainly on the verifi-
bomb. cation process [on compliance with the JCPOA]
At the same time, Israel has acknowledged and the guarantees Iran is requesting from the
that even with such material it would take the world powers in order to revive the nuclear deal”
Iranians around five years to assemble a nuclear would be presented, he added.
weapon. Tehran, for its part, denies ever hav-
ing had an ambition to build a nuclear bomb Returning home to consult
and accuses the Israelis of trying to poison the Prior to the reconvening of the talks, the delega-
atmosphere of the Vienna talks with lies about tions in the Austrian capital will return home to
its activities. consult with their governments to seek instruc-
tions on whether the gaps can be closed.
Closing gaps As well as the Iranians, British, French and
The EU’s chief negotiator, Enrique Mora, said the Germans, the two other remaining JCPOA sig-
talks were suspended but would reconvene this natories, Russia and China, are attending the
week, while warning that two drafts presented talks. The US has a delegation present that is
by Iran – on sanctions the US would be required being kept in touch with developments in the

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