Ahead of Nuclear Deal Talks, Iran’s FM Calls for US to Lift Sanctions

Ahead of fresh nuclear deal negotiations between Tehran and Washington, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian reiterated Iran’s call for the verifiable lifting of US sanctions.

“If the opposing sides are prepared to return to their full obligations and the lifting of sanctions, a good and even immediate agreement can be reached,” Amirabdollahian said in a call with Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, according to Reuters.

“Iran wants a good and verifiable agreement,” Amirabdollahian said, adding that Iran would enter the negotiations in “good faith” despite the fact that the US violations of the JCPOA.

The talks are set to begin on Monday and Vienna. The US and Iran will not be speaking directly, and the EU and other JCPOA participants will moderate the negotiations.

During the last round of talks that lasted from April until June, the Biden administration refused to lift all Trump-era sanctions on Iran. Iranian officials at the time said a deal was reached that would lift most major sanctions, but the two sides remained far apart on other key issues and President Biden wasted an opportunity to move forward by refusing to guarantee that he would stay in the JCPOA.

Leading up to the new negotiations, the Biden administration is maintaining the same stance and says it will only lift sanctions “inconsistent” with the JCPOA. In recent weeks, the US has issued new sanctions on Iran and has stepped up threats against the Islamic Republic.