Iran confirms 'significant progress' in Nuclear Deal as talks resume in Vienna

Iran, along with six world powers have made “significant progress” in talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal but important issues still need to be resolved, Iran Foreign Ministry said on May 31. Speaking at a televised news briefing, ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh, further asserted that by the end of the ongoing talks in Vienna, the involved parties would reach a conclusion. The fifth round of talks took off in the Austrian capital on May 25 to conclude an agreement on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), the prime reason behind the US-Iran kerfuffle.

"Each round of talks in Vienna could have been the final round. We should not rush. We have made significant progress but key issues remain," Saeed Khatibzadeh told a televised weekly news conference adding “there has been no stalemate on the Vienna talks."

Demands and compliance

In 2015, the P5+1 nations signed the JCPOA deal with Iran which allowed Tehran to scale back its nuclear or uranium enrichment program in exchange for promises of economic relief. However, Donald Trump withdrew the US from the pact in 2018. After Joe Biden succeeded Trump, he vowed to revive the deal but clarified that it would only happen once Tehran comes into full compliance with the terms. Tehran, on the other hand, demanded Washington to comply first by lifting all the sanctions and embargoes imposed by Trump.

"All sanctions should be lifted and then it should be verified by Iran...then we will reverse our nuclear steps," Khatibzadeh retriated in the briefing on Monday.

The talks in Vienna come the day after the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, was able to strike a last-minute agreement with Tehran on a one-month extension to a deal on surveillance cameras at Iran's nuclear sites. Meanwhile, Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran’s civilian program, confirmed that Tehran had stockpiled 5 tons of uranium enriched up to 5% purity, 90 kilograms (198 pounds) enriched up to 20% and 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds) up to 60% — still below weapons-grade levels of 90% purity. The issue wasn't directly related to the ongoing talks on the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, but had Iran not agreed it could have seriously complicated the discussions, as reported by the Associated Press. 

Image: AP