US reluctance to drop sanctions Vienna talks' main challenge

"It is crystal clear that the US reluctance to fully drop the sanctions is the main challenge for the progress of negotiations," wrote the Iranian Foreign Ministry in its Twitter account on Sunday.

"We believe that anytime the US administration abandons the maximum pressure campaign, and Europeans demonstrate necessary political determination, the way will be opened for the swift attainment of an agreement," it added.

"They are not willing in the first place to give such concessions which are clearly asserted by the #JCPOA, and secondly they are not willing to “re-negotiate” the matters that were propounded in last drafts," it noted.

Another round of talks with Iran on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) began in the Austrian capital last Monday between Iran and P4+1 with the aim of the removal of the US sanctions against Iran. The issue of lifting the US sanctions from Iran was the main topic of discussion.

The US returned the sanctions in 2018 after leaving a historic nuclear agreement between Iran and others that had eliminated the coercive measures.

US President Joe Biden has alleged a willingness to re-enter Washington into the deal and lift the measures again. His administration has, however, not taken any meaningful steps towards the purpose, and even slapped new sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Tehran has repeatedly lambasted Biden's team for keeping up the "maximum pressure" campaign of his predecessor Donald Trump.

ZZ/