Page 7 - MEOG Week 50 2021

MEOG POLICY & SECURITY MEOG

Iran points finger at Europe for

lack of nuclear talks progress

IRAN EVER since former US President Donald Trump Iran of walking back diplomatic progress that
yanked the US out of the 2015 nuclear deal was made in the first phase of the talks that
between Iran and major powers three and a half ended in June. At the end of last week, European
years ago, the Iranians have accused Europe of sources briefed news agencies that Iran had now
doing nothing meaningful to save the multilat- agreed to continue the talks from where they left
eral agreement. off in June. But by the weekend, Iranian officials
Tehran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri had denied this.
kept up that line on December 12 when he told Nevertheless, Iranian President Ebrahim
Press TV that the “European parties are failing Raisi said on December 11 that Tehran was
to come up with any initiatives to resolve differ- serious in the nuclear talks with world powers
ences over the removal of sanctions [on Iran]”. in Vienna.
Bagheri was referring to Britain, France and Ger- “The fact that we presented the text of Iran’s
many, which along with Iran, Russia and China proposal to the negotiating parties shows that we
are still signed up to the nuclear deal, known as are serious in the talks, and if the other side is
the JCPOA. also serious about the removal of [US] sanctions,
The sanctions mentioned by Bagheri were we will achieve a good agreement,” state news
gradually imposed by the US after Trump exited agency IRNA quoted Raisi as saying.
the JCPOA, arguing it was not tough enough and Bagheri said on December 11 that several
that the heaviest ever sanctions imposed on Teh- issues remained unresolved in the Vienna talks.
ran would be needed to drive the Iranians to the “Several points of difference have remained
negotiating table to negotiate a more stringent which require decision-making at the high-level
nuclear deal. and these are still on the table unresolved.”
After the Trump walkout, Iran looked to The UK, meanwhile, said the onus was on
Europe for some protection from the American Iran to enable a breakthrough at the talks. “This
sanctions, but little of any consequence eventu- is the last chance for Iran to come to the nego-
ated. Realising it was gaining little from contin- tiating table with a serious resolution to this
uing to abide by the JCPOA – drawn up to hold issue, which has to be agreeing the terms of the
Iran to compliance measures that would ensure JCPOA,” British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said
its nuclear development programme was kept at a G7 meeting in Liverpool.
entirely civilian – Iran set out on a course that As part of a policy that makes it clear to Teh-
has seen it, step by step, breach key conditions of ran that heavy sanctions would remain if no
the nuclear deal. nuclear deal relaunch agreement was struck,
The ongoing Vienna talks, called to find a the US will this week send a senior delegation to
path on which both the US and Iran could return the UAE to ramp up pressure on entities that are
to fully implementing the JCPOA, got off to a dif- committing sanctions non-compliance by doing
ficult start two weeks ago when the US accused business with Iran.™

Week 50 15•December•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P7