Indirect negotiations between the US and Iran to revive the nuclear deal have been stalled since June 20th. France and Germany are both calling for the new government in Tehran to resume the talks “immediately.”
The German Foreign Ministry said Wednesday that it is “vehemently” urging Iran to resume talks. France’s foreign minister spoke with his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday and urged an “immediate resumption of negotiations.”
On Tuesday, Iran’s new foreign minister said other countries should understand a new government needs a few months to establish itself. “The other party knows full well that a process of two to three months is required for the new government to establish itself and to start taking decisions,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
Iran’s new President Ebrahim Raisi was sworn in last month. While he is viewed as a hardliner, Raisi has endorsed the idea of a US return to the nuclear deal and signaled he’s interested in resuming negotiations.
“We are not seeking to flee the negotiation table and the … government considers a real negotiation is a negotiation that produces palpable results allowing the rights of the Iranian nation to be guaranteed,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
Western powers like to blame the lack of progress on Iran, but the US and Iran had to enter negotiations in the first place because the Biden administration refused to lift all Trump-era sanctions. By entering negotiations and negotiating limited sanctions relief, Tehran made a significant concession.
That’s like demanding that a robbery victim make nice with his robber.
“Raisi has endorsed the idea of a US return to the nuclear deal”
So simple.
Too much so, I guess.