Macron meets with Raisi despite Europe's disappointment in progress in JCPOA revival talks

At the same time as protests against Ebrahim Raisi's presence in New York and widespread nationwide rallies following the killing of Mahsa Amini due to the violence of the Ershad Patrol, Emmanuel Macron met with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The meeting was held on Tuesday, September 19, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, and is Raisi's first meeting with a Western leader since the beginning of his presidency in 1400.

Macron and Raisi's meeting also took place after a complete stalemate emerged in the negotiations to revive the JCPOA between Iran and Western powers.

Before the meeting, Macron had expressed hope that he would be able to discuss "all issues" with the Iranian president.

France also announced on Monday that there is no better offer for Iran than the JCPOA.

The European Union's foreign policy chief recently announced that he does not expect any progress in the negotiations to revive the JCPOA on the sidelines of this international event.

On September 19, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in New York: "The proposal presented by the coordinators [of the EU's proposed text for a possible agreement to revive the JCPOA] is on the table and will remain there."

He emphasized, "I don't see a better solution and it won't be obsolete."

Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's representative in the Iran nuclear talks, responded to Borrell's remarks, saying that these remarks show that the negotiations have reached a deadlock.

The senior Russian official, at the same time, pointed the finger of blame at Washington, referring to the US congressional midterm elections, adding: "It is not fair to blame Iran. The negotiations are too dependent on the political agenda of another participant."

Negotiations to revive the JCPOA have reached their final stage with the announcement that a proposed text for a possible agreement is ready, but the United States has announced that Iran's latest response to this text has set the negotiations back at least one step.

The French President has spoken to Ebrahim Raisi on the phone many times in recent months about the Iranian nuclear issue, and recently announced that "the ball is in Iran's court."

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna also told reporters on Monday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York that it was up to Tehran to decide now, because the window for finding a solution was closing.

While negotiations to revive the JCPOA have been tied up due to Iranian demands, especially with the provision of guarantees by the United States and the closure of the file on Iran's undeclared nuclear sites at the International Atomic Energy Agency, Raisi once again called for "guarantees" from the United States to prevent another possible withdrawal from the nuclear agreement.

In an interview with the American CBS network, he added that he agreed with a "good deal" and a "fair deal," but that the deal must be "durable."

Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, has also claimed that the Agency's messages to Tehran "show that they intend to close this case."

Mr. Eslami added: "We hope they are honest and do not waste any more of their time and do not think that they can exert maximum pressure with such a case."

The International Atomic Energy Agency has not yet responded to these statements, but it had previously stated that its investigation into Iran's nuclear activities is not related to the revival of the JCPOA.

Source: Radio Farda