JCPOA meeting could be a turning point for nuclear deal

“Tomorrow, the Joint Commission of the #JCPOA will have an in-person meeting in Vienna,” Russia’s Permanent Representative to the Vienna-based international organization Mikhail Ulyanov tweeted on Monday.

“Let’s hope that it will become a turning point in  “Iranian saga” marking the start of movement towards #US sanctions lifting and return of #Iran to full compliance with its nuclear commitments,” he added.

In a tweet on Saturday, the Russian diplomat had referred to the upcoming meeting on the JCPOA and said, “A unique situation around #JCPOA. All participants and now US aim at restoration of the deal. Strategic goals seem to coincide and there are reasons for optimism. However, attempts to address the issue revealed a lot of underwater stones, which should be removed through joint efforts.”

Senior officials from Iran, France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China will attend the JCPOA Joint Commission on Tuesday in what appears to be the first serious push to reinvigorate the deal since January 20, when Joe Biden was sworn in as the new president of the United States.

Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, adopted a policy of “maximum pressure” against Tehran after the withdrawal, escalating tensions with Iran and drawing strong criticism from the other signatories of the accord.

Iran was patient for one year. But with no palpable shift in circumstances, Tehran began a gradual process of reducing its nuclear undertakings. The decision was taken as Iran’s right under Article 36 of the JCPOA.

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