On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said an agreement to revive the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, can be reached soon in Vienna if the US and its European allies are serious about the negotiations.
“We believe that if the American side and the three European countries are serious about returning to the full implementation of their commitments as per the JCPOA, achieving a good agreement will be possible in the short term,” Amir-Abdollahian said in a press conference in Tehran.
Amir-Abdollahian said the Western parties to the talks have been “tampering [with] the text and playing for time.” US officials have been warning that time is running out on the negotiations, while Iranian officials say the JCPOA revival hinges on whether or not the US is ready to give the Islamic Republic the necessary sanctions relief.
“Our goal is the full removal of all JCPOA sanctions,” Amir-Abdollahian said. “It is better for the Islamic Republic to reach an agreement today rather than tomorrow.”
Also on Monday, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the Vienna talks “have reached a stage where outcome can be announced without speculation and with certainty.”
“The US political decision to realize or refuse to accept the requirements of a credible and lasting deal based on the principles accepted in JCPOA can replace speculation,” Shamkhani added.
If President Biden decides to give Iran sanctions relief and return to the JCPOA, he will face enormous political pressure from Congress. Senate Republicans are threatening to try to block the JCPOA revival if Biden doesn’t seek approval from Congress, and some Democrats would also be against giving Iran sanctions relief.
Yawn. Email me when a decision is announced.