European Troika: Iran Missed Another Opportunity; JCPOA May “Not Reach the Finish Line”

Three European powers that are parties to the JCPOA, namely Britain, France, and Germany, warned on Thursday, June 30, on the eve of a UN Security Council meeting, in a joint statement once again about the acceleration of Iran’s nuclear program and called on the Islamic Republic to immediately conclude an agreement that would be “in the interest of the Iranian people and nation.”

The statement said: “Unfortunately, at a meeting that concluded yesterday in Doha, Iran missed another opportunity and instead put forward new non-JCPOA demands that are divorced from reality.”

The statement added that “Iran’s actions are rapidly unraveling the package of measures that we had agreed upon over months of negotiations to revive the JCPOA.”

The three European powers also warned that Iran’s acceleration of its nuclear activities is closing the window for an immediate diplomatic solution and therefore urged Iran to stop escalating nuclear tensions and immediately return to full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Since the suspension of talks to revive the JCPOA, tensions over Iran’s nuclear file have increased, with signs including the issuance of a resolution by the IAEA Board of Governors against Tehran for lack of cooperation with the Agency, and Iran’s response by deactivating the Agency’s surveillance cameras.

JCPOA May “Not Reach the Finish Line”

During the UN Security Council meeting, the European Union Ambassador to the United Nations said that following the inconclusive round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States in Doha, the Union is concerned that an agreement to revive the JCPOA may not be concluded.

Olof Skoog said on Thursday that he is concerned that in nuclear talks between Iran and world powers, one cannot “cross the finish line.”

The EU Ambassador, reiterating the substance of the joint statement of the three European JCPOA parties, added: “My message is this: use this opportunity to conclude an agreement based on the text that is ready on the table. Now is the time to overcome remaining issues, conclude an agreement, and fully revive (the JCPOA).”

The periodic Security Council meeting on Thursday was held to review the latest report by António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, on the implementation of Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA.

Richard Mills, Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, also emphasized during this meeting that Iran showed no genuine “sense of urgency” during recent talks in Doha to conclude an agreement, end the current nuclear crisis, and achieve sanctions relief.

Iran’s Foreign Minister’s Assessment in Conversation with Qatari Counterpart

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister said on Thursday that despite the U.S. “negative assessment” of indirect talks in Qatar’s capital to revive the JCPOA, reaching a nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers remains accessible and possible.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in a phone call with Muhammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, his Qatari counterpart who mediated the indirect talks between Iran and the United States, deemed the Iranian negotiation team’s assessment of the latest round of talks “positive” and said that reaching an agreement is still within reach.

He then emphasized Tehran’s “determination” to “continue negotiations until reaching a good, realistic, and lasting agreement.”

Earlier, following the conclusion of the two-day Tehran-Washington meeting in Doha with EU mediation, the U.S. State Department announced that talks on resolving outstanding issues from negotiations related to reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA ended on Wednesday evening “without any progress.”

The U.S. State Department spokesman said after the talks in Doha that Washington “clearly stated its readiness to conclude an agreement immediately and implement it for mutual return to full JCPOA commitments.”

Ned Price added that “nevertheless, Iran, as before, has raised issues that are entirely unrelated to the framework of the JCPOA nuclear agreement and apparently is still not ready to make a fundamental decision about whether it seeks to revive the agreement or bury it.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister, however, says that if Washington adopts a “realistic” approach, an agreement is accessible.

Negotiations to revive the JCPOA began with the Biden administration taking office, but these negotiations had stalled since February of last year.

Since the beginning of JCPOA revival negotiations last year, Iran has refused to negotiate directly with the United States over the nuclear agreement. In the recent round of talks in Qatar’s capital, Enrique Mora, as the senior EU negotiator, served as the messenger between the American side.

The analytical news website “Axios” reported yesterday, citing an unnamed U.S. official, that the final text of the agreement has been ready for several months and remains subject to a decision by the Iranian side.

Differences between Tehran and Washington remain as strong as before; the Islamic Republic has raised two conditions, which U.S. officials described as “beyond the JCPOA,” one being the removal of the IRGC from the U.S. terrorist organizations list, and the other receiving guarantees from Washington that future U.S. administrations will not withdraw from the current agreement.

The Biden administration has stated that it is not willing to remove the IRGC from the terrorist organizations list and cannot provide Tehran with guarantees about future U.S. administrations’ policy on the JCPOA.

Source: Radio Farda