Iranian Foreign Minister: Reaching an agreement is possible in less than a few hours
In an interview on Sunday, March 1, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran said that reaching a final agreement in Vienna depends on a "realistic" and "flexible" approach from the United States and Europe.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who traveled to Vienna after attending the Munich Security Conference, claimed in an interview with Euronews that Tehran has so far shown great initiative and flexibility at the negotiating table.
Stating that it is possible to reach a final agreement in less than a few hours, he said that determining the exact time for the agreement depends on the flexibility and initiative of the Western side.
The Iranian Foreign Minister clarified that the Islamic Republic has conveyed its message to American officials through intermediaries, and that the three European countries that are members of the JCPOA are also directly aware of Tehran's expectations.
In recent days, European officials, including German Chancellor Olaf Schulz and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, have emphasized that there are only a few days left to reach an agreement, saying that now is the time for Tehran to make a decision.
Despite repeated warnings from Western officials about the end of the time needed to reach an agreement, Iranian government officials continue to hold Western parties responsible for the current situation.
The eighth round of talks aimed at revitalizing the JCPOA is underway in Vienna, with representatives from Iran, Russia, China, France, Britain, Germany, the European Union, and the United States. US representatives are participating indirectly in the talks, and Iranian officials say they are not willing to negotiate directly with them.
Mr. AmirAbdollahian said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference that direct negotiations with the United States require the lifting of sanctions and the release of Iran's financial resources.
On February 19, Reuters reported in an exclusive report, citing "Western diplomats," that the 20-page draft of the JCPOA revival prepared in Vienna includes bilateral measures for Iran and the United States to gradually return to implementing all their commitments, but exempting Iran from oil sanctions is not included in the first steps.
The publication of this draft has angered Iranian officials, to the point where the Iranian Foreign Minister called on Western countries negotiating with representatives of the Islamic Republic not to, in his words, "make miscalculations" and "not drag the negotiations into the media space."
The political deputy of the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader's office in the IRGC also warned on Sunday, referring to the news published about the agreement in Vienna, that "any action that could be considered a withdrawal by the Islamic Republic's negotiating team" should be prevented.
250 members of parliament also issued a statement calling on Ebrahim Raisi's government not to accept the JCPOA revival agreement without obtaining guarantees that the US will not withdraw from the JCPOA again, as well as a commitment from the JCPOA members not to use the "trigger mechanism."
Source: Radio Farda
