Tehran Responds to Washington’s Views on JCPOA; US: Iran’s Response is Not Constructive

Nasser Kanaani, spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Friday morning that the Islamic Republic of Iran has submitted its views regarding the US response to the draft text of a potential agreement for reviving the nuclear deal (JCPOA) to the EU coordinator.

Nasser Kanaani stated: “After receiving the US response, Iran’s expert team carefully reviewed it and Iran’s responses, after evaluation at various levels, were drafted and delivered to the coordinator tonight.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman added: “The submitted text has a constructive approach with the final goal of concluding negotiations.”

Nasser Kanaani did not provide further explanation regarding Iran’s response.

Hours after the news of the Islamic Republic’s response to the European Union was published, a US State Department spokesman said: “We can confirm that we have received Iran’s response through the European Union. We are reviewing it and will respond through the European Union, but unfortunately this (Iran’s response) is not constructive.”

In this regard, Laura Rozen, a prominent international affairs reporter in Washington, also wrote citing a US government official that Iran’s response is “not encouraging.”

The EU foreign policy chief last month presented a “final text” for reviving the JCPOA to Iran and the US. Iran and the US have since exchanged their responses to this text through the European Union.

Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, expressed hope on Wednesday that the JCPOA would be revived “within days.”

This is while Hossein Amirabdollahian, Iran’s Foreign Minister, says that Tehran is seeking “stronger guarantees” from the United States.

Iran responded to the EU’s “final text” on August 15 and added some of its demands to it, which Mr. Borrell had assessed as “reasonable.” The United States also responded to Iran’s views a week later. The parties have raised new issues in their responses.

White House officials and the French president have also expressed optimism in the past two days about reviving the JCPOA in the coming days.

In this regard, international media outlets have published reports regarding the provisions and implementation method of reviving the JCPOA.

The Axios website also reported Wednesday that, based on the draft agreement presented by the EU foreign policy chief, the potential agreement for reviving the JCPOA will be implemented in several phases.

The report adds that four months after signing the JCPOA, mutual return will occur in the third phase. In this phase, Iran is supposed to end the implementation of all restrictions on its nuclear program under the JCPOA and resume the full inspection regime of the International Atomic Energy Agency at its nuclear facilities.

Axios adds that the US will also lift all secondary sanctions against Iran in this phase and put on the agenda other measures, including engagement with the private sector regarding how to conduct trade with Iran.

Axios also reported, citing US government officials, that the US told the Islamic Republic of Iran through the European Union that linking the resolution of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s investigation into Iran’s undeclared nuclear activities to the issue of reviving the JCPOA could delay the lifting of US sanctions against Tehran.

Source: Radio Farda