The US on Tuesday cautioned against positive comments from Iran over the negotiations to revive the nuclear deal while the European powers involved in the talks warned of an “urgent” need to reach an agreement.
State Department spokesman Ned Price claimed it was still too early to tell if Iran was serious about the talks. “It’s really too soon to tell whether Iran has returned with a more constructive approach to this round,” he told reporters.
“We are now assessing, in the course of these talks, whether the Iranians came back with an agenda of new issues or preliminary solutions to the ones already presented,” Price told reporters.
Since the talks restarted in Vienna at the end of November, the US has been accusing Iran of not taking the negotiations seriously. But Iran is just seeking more sanctions relief than the US is willing to give, and despite the negative comments coming from Washington, Iranian officials have been upbeat.
Earlier on Tuesday, both Iran and Russia had good things to say about the negotiations. Russia’s envoy in Vienna said “indisputable progress” was made during meetings on Tuesday. The current round of talks started on Monday after a brief pause.
“The Vienna talks are headed in a good direction,” said Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Tehran. “We believe that if other parties continue the round of talks which just started with good faith, reaching a good agreement for all parties is possible.”
The Europeans involved in the negotiations are repeating the US narrative and released a joint statement warning only “weeks” were left before a deal could be made.
“This negotiation is urgent … We are clear that we are nearing the point where Iran’s escalation of its nuclear program will have completely hollowed out the JCPOA,” officials from the UK, France, and Germany said in a statement.
“That means we have weeks, not months, to conclude a deal before the JCPOA’s core non-proliferation benefits are lost,” the statement said.
Despite the Western warnings, any nuclear advancements Iran makes could be reversed and would be easily confirmed under the JCPOA’s strict inspection regime. Iran is currently enriching some uranium at 60 percent, which is less than the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade. Over the weekend, Iran’s nuclear energy chief said even if the negotiations fail, Tehran won’t enrich uranium at a higher level.
The arrogance of the USA, which is the one which broke the JCPOA and refuses to lift the illegal Trump sanctions causing deaths and destruction on Iran,wanting to decide on new restrictions on Iran, is breathtaking. Israel of course, has to decide any issue for the USA. Even worse, Israel wants actual military attacks on Iran, joined by USA.
Nice summation and very much to the point.
Concise description.
“We are now assessing, in the course of these talks, whether the Iranians came back with an agenda of new issues or preliminary solutions to the ones already presented,” Price told reporters.
They were in complete compliance. Trump dropped out of the deal. Biden lied and didn’t return to the deal. So no, numbnuts Ned, your take is bullshit
I rather want to ask if there is a psychic component in all of this? I’m only raising such a question in response to Mr. Price’s attitude and comments… Facetiously, of course.
Total farce. There’s zero chance of the talks of being successful because the US doesn’t want a deal (other than complete submission, of course.)
The clear intention of western state friendly media in parrotting the US line on this shows their true role…enabling war.
The US makes various huge and deadly problems for Iran, then wonders if Iran is serious about solving them. Bad question, but they aren’t, because the US has an endless supply of problems to hand off on others rather than be responsible. Iran can’t win a war, but neither can the US. E3 just manufactures non-existent urgency on the wrong party.