Iran, P4+1 group of countries resume sanctions removal talks in Vienna after short break

The eighth round of talks between senior representatives of Iran and the P4+1 group of countries on the revival of the 2015 deal has resumed in the Austrian capital of Vienna after a 10-day break.

Envoys from Iran and the five remaining signatories to the deal -- Britain, France, Russia, and China plus Germany--have been holding negotiations in the Austrian capital for 10 months with the aim of reviving the agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), through bringing the US back to the deal.

The two sides have bridged some gaps since the talks began last year but differences remain, especially on the issue of US sanctions. Tehran wants all sanctions imposed by the administration of former US president Donald Trump removed and says the issue is its red line.

The eighth round of the negotiations were briefly put on hold as diplomats returned to their capitals for consultations.

On Tuesday, Iran's lead negotiator to the Vienna talks Ali Bagheri Kani met with Enrique Mora, the European Union’s deputy foreign policy chief and head of the JCPOA Joint Commission, as well as head of the Russian delegation Mikhail Ulyanov.

Bagheri Kani is also scheduled to hold talks with chief negotiators of the P4+1 group of countries later in the day, IRNA reported.

In a joint press conference with his Finnish counterpart, Pekka Haavisto, in Tehran on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said despite progress in the talks, part of the Islamic Republic’s demands have not been taken into account yet.

Iran FM says some of country's demands on removal of sanctions not addressed in Vienna talks

The Iranian FM says despite the advances made in the Vienna talks, some of Tehran

Asked about the latest developments regarding the negotiations in Vienna, Amir-Abdollahian said, “According to the latest texts of the Vienna talks, parts of our demands with regard to the removal of sanctions have not been addressed yet.”

Trump unilaterally left the 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.

In May 2019, 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 non-compliance by the other side.

The US administration of President Joe Biden says it is willing to compensate for Trump’s mistake and rejoin the deal, but it has retained the sanctions as leverage.

Iran, Russia FMs urge speedy revival of JCPOA in its initially balanced configuration

In a phone call on Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart stressed the need for the speedy revival of the JCPOA in its initially balanced configuration, which has been approved by the UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Lavrov and Amir-Abdollahian discussed the situation around the JCPOA amid the ongoing sanctions removal talks in Vienna, Xinhua reported.

The top Iranian and Russian diplomats also exchanged views on the recent visit of Iran's President Ebrahim Raeisi to Moscow and reassured their readiness to foster cooperation in a wide range of fields.

Setting deadline for Vienna talks not constructive: China

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday that the negotiations on reviving compliance with the JCPOA have entered a crucial stage, dismissing the idea of setting a deadline for the talks.

"China agrees that all parties should have a stronger sense of urgency, fully demonstrate goodwill and flexibility, and move toward reaching an agreement at an early date," he said at his regular press conference.

"At the same time, we believe that it is not constructive to artificially set up a deadline for the negotiations," he added.

The Chinese spokesman urged all JCPOA parties to exercise necessary patience, properly resolve differences and create favorable conditions for negotiations.

He emphasized that the US, as the culprit of the crisis on the Iranian nuclear issue, should reverse its erroneous “maximum pressure” policy on Iran and lift all illegal sanctions on Tehran and third parties.

Zhao also called on Iran to resume full compliance with the JCPOA and said, "China will continue to participate in negotiations constructively and work with all parties to bring the JCPOA back to the right track at an early date."

Vienna talks now in final stages; diplomatic solution possible: Britain

The director of Middle East and North Africa department at the British foreign and commonwealth office and chief negotiator to the Vienna talks, Stephanie Al-Qaq, said in a tweet that the Vienna talks on the JCPOA revival have reached "final stages.”

"Back in Vienna for #JCPOA #ViennaTalks. We are now in the final stages. A diplomatic solution is possible but will require us to reach decisions swiftly," he tweeted.

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