No ways for US to be back in JCPOA without lifting sanctions

Iran is determined to continue negotiations in Vienna on the restoration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the lifting of sanctions, intends to achieve a stable and verifiable deal, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in an interview with Russia’s Kommersant daily.

"Despite the lack of obligation of the West in fulfilling its promises and the lack of confidence in the approach and unconstructive policy of the White House, Iran aims to reach a good, stable and effectively verified agreement on lifting the sanctions during the talks in Vienna," he added, Urdu Point reported.

"The team of nuclear negotiators of the Islamic Republic of Iran, having goodwill, serious attitude and negotiating logic that ensures the interests and rights of the Iranian people, is ready to make every effort for this. My colleagues and I also intend to actively support our delegation and its head, Dr. Ali Bagheri, who has extensive experience in negotiations on this topic," the foreign minister emphasized.

Iran will not negotiate on topics outside the framework of the JCPOA, Amir-Abdollahian said.

"Another very important point: Iran is determined to reach a good agreement in Vienna and is ready to demonstrate its goodwill, but Tehran does not accept demands that go beyond the JCPOA. Iran will not negotiate on topics beyond the JCPOA," he added.

According to the Iranian top diplomat, the situation around the Iran nuclear deal emerged because Washington "has been sparing no effort to break down the JCPOA" for the recent four years.

"Iran, on the contrary, has been doing its utmost to keep this agreement alive," he stressed, TASS reported.

"It became clear for Iran during the previous six rounds: the United States is still failing to see that there is no ways for it to be back in the JCPOA without lifting all sanctions imposed against the Iranian people after Washington’s withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal," said Amir-Abdollahian.

He recalled that United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231 binds all the signatory nations to support the JCPOA and "refrain from actions that could be harmful to it."

"The main goal of the Vienna talks should be the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA, as well as the normalization of trade relations and sustainable economic cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

"Iran, subject to the provision of guarantees, compensation for damage and effective and verifiable lifting of sanctions, is ready to stop its compensatory measures," the minister said according to Sputnik"Of course, in order to return to the JCPOA, Iran must fully become the beneficiary of the lifting of all sanctions. Iran, subject to the provision of guarantees, compensation for damage and effective and verifiable lifting of sanctions, is ready to stop its compensatory measures," the minister said according to Sputnik.

The issue of guarantees for Tehran is extremely important, he added.

"Iran does not consider it possible to seriously discuss the issue of the return of the United States to the JCPOA if it is not provided with guarantees that the bitter experience of the past will not be repeated. Washington must guarantee the long-term nature of the agreements, otherwise, Iran's economic partners cannot be sure that interaction with it will not be exposed to risks like 2018," he said.

Moreover, Amir-Abdollahian said with reference to the JCPOA that the US and the European "Troika" must realize that the current window of negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program will not be open forever.

ZZ/PR