Iran: Americans Must Guarantee They Won’t Exit JCPOA

The spokesperson of the Islamic Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says Iran is moving forward with Vienna negotiations based on a “national consensus.” According to reports, Saeed Jalili has written a 200-page letter opposing nuclear negotiations in Vienna to the leader of the Islamic Republic.

Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesperson for the Islamic Republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded to reporters from Iranian and international media outlets at a press conference on Monday, February 11 (January 31).

Regarding disagreements in Vienna nuclear negotiations, Khatibzadeh emphasized: “In the realm of guarantees and verification, Americans must provide assurance that they will not, as they did years ago, make a mockery of international law. They must not again take our citizens hostage under flimsy pretexts of circumventing sanctions and must provide the conditions for Iran to benefit from the economic advantages of the JCPOA.”

U.S. officials and other European parties to the JCPOA have repeatedly stated that no U.S. president can make decisions binding on successor administrations; therefore, Iran’s demand is considered “unrealistic.”

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated that in Vienna negotiations “ideas have been documented and we have moved beyond the ideas phase and are awaiting responses from the other parties.”

Saeed Jalili’s 200-Page Letter Opposing Nuclear Negotiations

According to ISNA news agency, Khatibzadeh, responding to reports that Saeed Jalili, former secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, has written a letter to some Iranian officials criticizing Vienna negotiations, said: “I have no information about this matter; it would be appropriate to ask about this issue from him directly.”

He added: “We are moving forward with Vienna negotiations based on a national consensus and utilizing all domestic capacities for dialogue.”

According to “Armane Melli” newspaper, some media outlets reported yesterday that Saeed Jalili wrote a 200-page report against the new round of negotiations, considering the progress of Bagheri Kani’s team to be detrimental to Iran.

The newspaper also reported: “Jalili claims that negotiations should not take place under current conditions and Iran should only extract measurable and verifiable concessions from the Americans. He sent this letter to Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic.”

Armane Melli writes that from Jalili’s perspective, there should be a “revolutionary entry” into negotiations, with the explanation that one should only gain concessions and not be able to tolerate hearing no.

Jalili’s views were published while, according to the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, “negotiations over the past three weeks have achieved significant progress in all four areas of sanctions relief, nuclear commitments, verification, and obtaining guarantees.”

Khatibzadeh stated that the slowness in negotiations was “due to the inaction of the other party or failure to obtain necessary guarantees or lack of necessary initiative and creativity from the other parties.”

He emphasized: “If the other parties, especially the Americans, when they return to Vienna, have made their decisions, endorse Iran’s legitimate demands, and do not demand more than the JCPOA, and we do not accept less than the JCPOA, a sustainable, good, and reliable agreement can be reached quickly.”

Currently, representatives of countries participating in Vienna nuclear negotiations have returned to their capitals for consultations.

In response to Al Jazeera’s correspondent regarding direct negotiations between Iran and America in Vienna given recent statements by officials from both countries, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said: “What takes place as informal correspondence between Iran and America through the European Union coordinator is a path that has been followed to date and will continue to be followed through this channel as long as necessary, and this path continues.”

Iran’s government information portal reported on Sunday, February 10 (January 30), about a telephone conversation between Emmanuel Macron, the French president, and his Iranian counterpart Ibrahim Raisi on Saturday evening, February 9.

In his conversation with Emmanuel Macron, Ibrahim Raisi emphasized the lifting of sanctions and “credible verification and guarantees” and claimed that the pressure from U.S. sanctions on Iran has been “ineffective.”

Source: DW