Negotiations on how to bring the US back into compliance with the Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, will begin in Vienna next week. While US and Iranian officials will attend the talks, there will be no direct communication between the two countries.
The decision to meet in Vienna was decided on Friday during virtual talks between Iran and officials representing the remaining JCPOA participants; Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany.
The EU released a statement after Friday’s talks announcing the plans to meet in person in Vienna. “Participants agreed to resume this session of the Joint Commission in Vienna next week, in order to clearly identify sanctions lifting and nuclear implementation measures, including through convening meetings of the relevant expert groups,” the statement said.
The US and Iran confirmed the plan. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the negotiations were “a healthy step forward,” but said, “These remain early days, and we don’t anticipate an immediate breakthrough as there will be difficult discussions ahead.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Javad Zarif confirmed on Twitter that Tehran agreed to meet in Vienna. He said the aim for the talks is to “Rapidly finalize sanction-lifting & nuclear measures for choreographed removal of all sanctions, followed by Iran ceasing remedial measures.” He added that there will be no “US-Iran meeting,” calling it “unnecessary.”
An unnamed US official told The New York Times that the two countries will negotiate through intermediaries on a road map to synchronize the steps needed to revive the deal. That involves the US lifting sanctions that have been imposed since 2018 and Iran reducing the activity of its civilian nuclear program to the limits set by the JCPOA.
The idea is that Iran will work out a general road map with the remaining nuclear deal participants and then meet directly with the US to hammer out the details. The official told the Times that the US would not seek to maintain some sanctions as leverage and said the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign was a failure.
While the Biden administration has been calling for talks with Iran in recent weeks, it scuttled early opportunities to revive the deal and dismissed Iran’s initial offer to coordinate a return. President Biden could have restored the JCPOA at any time by lifting sanctions but has refused to do so.
The fact that Iran is willing to come to the table while crippling economic sanctions are in place is a concession in itself. The question is whether or not the Biden administration will accept a return to the original agreement in the face of domestic pressure not to, or if it will make demands for a stricter deal that would not be acceptable to Tehran.
The US spokesperson said, “we don’t anticipate an immediate breakthrough as there will be difficult discussions ahead.”
Translation: We do not intend an agreement, but we will use these talks to camouflage our intransigence.
Yes, and also to manipulate the thing to make it look like Iran is the recalcitrant party when they do fail. Thereby providing Congress the necessary pretext to authorize bombing Iran and engineering popular acceptance.
“Indirect talks”. What is this, high school?
It’s a “face saving” device when Iran refuses to buckle under.
Biden, go back to the deal that you and your former boss signed off on. Talks are now over. See how easy that was?
He did specifically promise that in his campaign.
Of course, campaign lies don’t count. They can always be used again next time. Supporters are endlessly credulous.
And then he lied about “specifically” promising that.
I think politicians should face a lengthy jail term if they fail to carry out campaign promises. Then again, I am a fairly honest person, whereas politicians?
For that to happen he must fire Blinken immediately which he will not dare to do or even want to do.
All parties know WMD is a red herring (strictly for mass consumption). The “real thing” is regional hegemony. Israel insists Iran either join the “Abrahamic Accords” (i.e., abandon Hezbollah, Shia Iraq, et. al.), become an Israeli vassal, …and get very rich (the carrot, …though the “Kaddafi Caveat” portends the fate of the Ayatollah), or get destroyed (the stick). The US wants out of the mid-East which (like Nam) is bleeding it dry and destroying morale in the forces and population; but, US fp is wholly owned by AIPAC. Correlatively, Russia & China benefit from US stuck in another “Big Muddy” and will therefore encourage Iran hardliners. France & Germany are tired of US/Israel bullying, hold to the geo-political realist doctrine of multi-polarity, and therefore genuinely want to get the matter settled fairly; but, have only rhetorical power against US/Israel. Iran is feeling a lot of domestic pressure from US economic warfare; but from its strategic value to both Russia & China it has at least a sustenance life-line.
Biden was totally outplayed by Xi when China and Iran recently signed their mutual support pact which will assure China all crude oil it needs and wants. All Biden may get now is a few meaningless crumbs left on the table for the USA by Xi, Putin, and Merkle. One clueless President replacing another. That should stop.
So what? Since when did we get the authority to boss China and Iran?
The Biden team is exhibiting the fear of missing out re the China-Iran deal recently consummated. China can advance a friendly word from Washington, but it’s doubtful Tehran will ever send oil exports toward US shores.
At some future time, we may discover the Iran-China oil trade is absolutely exclusive. Repercussions derived from Qaseem Solemaini’s wrongful assassination?
When conditions and time warrant, Venezuela might have a similar agreement with China.
The global economic and geopolitical conditions are becoming more problematic.
thomas malthaus,
“the global economic and geopolitical conditions are becoming more problematic” – nice way of saying that we are having our ass handed to us.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2021/04/04/648737/Iran-Jordan-Khatibzadeh-Foreign-Ministry-Israel-West-Asia-instability
Sides are being chosen. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is considering his country’s options and future.
The US is going down like a spoiled child. Will they make wise choices, henceforth? Flip a coin or let Israel implement your foreign policy.
Part of our “divide and conquer”. Now we have bigger fish to fry.
Nothing will come out of this meeting as long as US is under zionist control…! Just lift all the sanctions, let Iran verifies them in practice and see Iran comes back to the original compliance…! If they don’t, snap back some of the sanctions…as simple as that…!