Iran FM: US has yet to offer 'serious initiative' amid Vienna talks

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the United States has not yet put forward a “serious initiative” regarding the talks in Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

“We have not seen any serious and notable initiative from the US. What is important for us is the opposite side’s action,” he said in an exclusive interview with IRIB news.

“We look at what happens on the ground. We have to see the Americans’ practical behavior regarding the sanctions removal in an objective and tangible manner.”

The remarks came two days after the administration of US President Joe Biden claimed that it had restored a sanctions waiver, which was rescinded by his predecessor, Donald Trump, in May 2020.

The US measure took place amid a pause in the eighth round of the Vienna talks as envoys from Iran and the P4+1 group of countries — Britain, France, Russia, and China plus Germany — have returned to their capitals for consultations.

Amir-Abdollahian said that Iran has not received any preconditions from the American side, despite some recent media claims.

The negotiations, he added, are advancing based on expert viewpoints and agreements that lead to a good deal ensuring Tehran’s interests.

Asked about the possibility of a two-year agreement, he said, “We are looking for a good agreement, not a limited one that lasts for a specific period of time.”

Iran: US should give guarantees, sanctions waiver ‘not enough’

The Iranian foreign minister reacts to a claim by the US that it has restored a sanctions waiver, saying Washington must show goodwill on the ground not on paper.

Vienna talks still far from balance of commitments: Shamkhani

Earlier on Sunday, Iran’s top security official stressed that the Vienna talks are “far from” achieving a balance of commitments by the participants, saying the US is currently required to take “political decisions” for that aim.

“Despite limited progress in the #ViennaTalks, we are still far from achieving the necessary balance in the commitments of the parties,” Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani tweeted.

“Political decisions in Washington are requirements for balance of commitments to reach a good agreement.”

Trump unilaterally left the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)  in May 2018 and re-imposed the anti-Iran sanctions that the deal had lifted. He also placed additional sanctions on Iran under other pretexts not related to the nuclear case as part of his “maximum pressure” campaign.

Following a year of strategic patience, Iran decided to let go of some of the restrictions on its nuclear energy program, resorting to its legal rights under the JCPOA, which grants a party the right to suspend its contractual commitments in case of a non-performance by the other side.

The Biden administration had voiced a willingness to compensate for Trump’s mistake and rejoin the deal, but it has retained the sanctions as leverage.

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