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2.2 Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator and EU foreign policy chief in renewed moves to get JCPOA talks back on track
Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator said on July 27 that Tehran has new ideas “both in substance and form” on how the 2015 nuclear deal between the Iranians and world powers might be restored.
Ali Bagheri Kani wrote on Twitter that those ideas would be shared, though stopped short of stating when. His statement followed an intervention by Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief who serves as the bloc’s coordinator on the nuclear deal, or JCPOA, that saw him propose a text that “represents the best possible deal”.
The JCPOA talks aimed at obtaining an agreement with Iran on the curbing of its nuclear development programme in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions have been deadlocked for months. There are worries that the programme has taken Iran to the point of having enough highly-enriched uranium for the assembly of one nuclear bomb, even though it would likely take the Iranians many months and possibly years to weaponise the fissile material and other components into a viable nuclear missile.
“This text represents the best possible deal that I, as facilitator of the negotiations, see as feasible. It is not a perfect agreement, but it addresses all essential elements and includes hard-won compromises by all sides,” Borrell said of his proposed nuclear agreement text in an article for the Financial Times.
“Decisions need to be taken now,” he warned, adding that he saw “no other comprehensive or effective alternative within reach”.
Iranian officials have lately stressed that they want a sustainable JCPOA agreement that guarantees Iran will enjoy the full economic benefits promised under the original deal. There is concern in Tehran that a successor to US President Joe Biden could wreck the restored multilateral deal by unilaterally withdrawing from it and unleashing fresh heavy sanctions, just as Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump did in May 2018 in what was viewed by many diplomats as a breach of international diplomatic convention. But Biden has no power to compel any successor to stick with any JCPOA text that he chooses to back.
In his article, Borrell wrote that his proposed text “reflects the determination” of all parties to ensure its sustainability. It would, he said, produce a deal that is better protected against potential future unilateral moves.
“If the deal is rejected, we risk a dangerous nuclear crisis, set against the prospect of increased isolation for Iran and its people,” he also wrote.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said last week that he and his inspectors have “limited visibility” on Iran’s nuclear programme. He described it as “galloping ahead”.
“It is not impossible, but it is going to require a very complex task and perhaps some specific agreements,” he said about the prospects for restoring the JCPOA.
7 IRAN Country Report August 2022 www.intellinews.com