Page 11 - MEOG Week 18 2022

MEOG NEWS IN BRIEF MEOG

Mora may return to Tehran 2018 - is withering away.
POLICY U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned in
Iraq’s Ministry of Oil holds in fresh push to resurrect revival in early March when the EU, which
The pact appeared on the brink of
operations leadership JCPOA coordinates the talks, invited ministers
to Vienna to seal the deal. But talks were
meeting European officials are preparing to make a thrown into disarray over last-minute
Russian demands and whether Washington
fresh push to salvage a nuclear deal with Iran,
The Ministry Deputy for Distribution Affairs offering to send Enrique Mora, the European might remove the Islamic Revolution Guard
affirmed that the ministry keens on achieving Union coordinator of the negotiations, to Corps (IRGC) from its Foreign Terrorist
high flow in the storage, transportation and Tehran, according to Western diplomats. Organization (FTO) list.
supplying of oil products in order to provide The talks in Vienna to revive the nuclear The Russian demands appear to have been
the best services to citizens and beneficiaries, deal, officially known as the JCPOA, have finessed but the IRGC designation has not,
this came during his chairing a meeting of hit a deadlock as Washington refuses to lift with the impending Nov. 8 U.S. mid-term
leadership operations. terror designation on Iran’s Islamic Revolution elections making it hard for U.S. President Joe
The Ministry Deputy for Distribution Guards Corps (IRGC). Biden to buck domestic opposition to remove
Affairs, Hamid Younis, praised the efforts of According to the Wall Street Journal, Mora it.
officials and workers in the distribution sector, has told Iranian counterparts he is ready to Biden’s aides have made clear they have
the Inspection Authority, support bodies and return to Tehran to open a pathway through no plans to drop the IRGC from the list but
the ministry media, and with the support of the deadlock. have not ruled it out, saying if Tehran wants
the national media, to overcome the fabricated So far, Iran hasn’t responded with an Washington to take a such step beyond strict
crisis by some mean-spirited people, stressing invitation, the diplomat added. revival of the deal, then Iran must address so-
that several actions have been undertaken to Mora first visited Tehran in late March. called U.S. concerns outside the deal.
prevent the recurrence of such crisis in the During his visit he held talks with Iran’s chief “If they’re not prepared to drop demands,
future. nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani and continue to insist on lifting the FTO, and
Younis appreciated the distinguished Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian. refuse to address our concerns that go beyond
efforts of the security and judicial authorities Meanwhile, Western officials have largely the JCPOA then, yes, we’re going to reach
that support the ministry actions to reduce lost hope the JCPOA can be resurrected, an impasse that is probably not going to be
corruption, smuggling and sales out of sources familiar with the matter have said. surmountable,” said a senior U.S. official.
regulations practiced by some owners of While they have not completely given up “Is it dead? We don’t know yet and frankly
corrupt private stations. on the pact, under which Iran restrained its we don’t think Iran knows either,” the official
The Ministry Deputy has mentioned nuclear program in return for termination said.
that a large number of the owners of private of economic and financial sanctions, there is So far, Iran seems unwilling to budge on
stations has cooperated with the actions of the a growing belief it may be beyond salvation, the FTO removal.
ministry and the Oil Products Distribution Reuters reported on May 2. The Trump administration put the IRGC
Company and has refused to engage with “They are not yanking the IV out of the on the FTO list to make it harder for the next
the degenerates in the process of depriving patient’s arm ... but I sense little expectation administration to return to the JCPOA.
citizens of access to fuel. that there is a positive way forward,” said “That is our redline and we will not cave on
The meeting was attended by the directors one source, who like others quoted spoke on that,” said an Iranian security official.
general of the concerned companies and condition of anonymity because of the issue’s In talks with Irish Foreign Minister Simon
directorates in the ministry, and a number sensitivity. Coveney on Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister
of topics on the agenda were reviewed and Four Western diplomats echoed the Amir Abdollahian urged the current U.S.
discussed. sentiment that the deal - which Iran struck administration to present “political initiatives”
MOO with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and “correct” Trump’s “illegal behavior” in
and the United States in 2015 but which then- order to revitalize the JCPOA.

Week 18 04•May•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P11