Iran Foreign Minister says preparations for Vienna talks near complete, dialogue to resume

Iranian officials are closing up preparations for discussions with the US and its allies on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), popularly the Iran Nuclear Deal, in Vienna. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian was quoted by news agency ANI as saying that authorities are wrapping up preparations for the Iran Nuclear Deal in Vienna and that the talks are expected to resume soon. Abdollahian said, according to the Fars news agency,  that the composition of their team of negotiators is almost complete and talks will soon be held at the level of deputy foreign ministers. 

Iran and the P5+1 group of countries including the United States, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Germany and the European Union had signed the JCPOA in 2015. In exchange for sanctions relief, including the lifting of an arms embargo after the agreement was signed, Iran had agreed to scale back its nuclear programme and drastically decrease its uranium reserves. In 2018, the US, under then-President Donald Trump unilaterally abandoned its conciliatory approach toward Iran, withdrawing from the JCPOA and initiating hard-line measures against Tehran, prompting Iran to substantially disregard the agreement's terms.

US President Joe Biden 'willing' to return to negotiating table

EU foreign policy leader Josep Borrell and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian met on the margins of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and reaffirmed their readiness to resume nuclear talks in Vienna as soon as possible. US President Joe Biden had stated in September that the US was willing to return to compliance with the JCPOA if Tehran agreed to do the same.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price had said last week that the Biden administration has observed the foreign minister's assurances that Iran will return to negotiations "very soon," but hasn't received clarity on what exactly that means. He further said that they are prepared to return to Vienna and complete the negotiations as soon as possible before the window of opportunity to return to the JCPOA closes.

Iran expects all parties to join Vienna talks

Iran expects all parties to return to the Vienna talks and then implement their pledges under the 2015 agreement in a complete and verifiable manner, Amir Abdollahian said. With the exception of Israel, which Iran does not recognise, the country wants contacts and has set agendas with all countries throughout the world, according to the foreign minister. He said that this includes its regional foe, Saudi Arabia.

(With inputs from ANI/AP News, Image: AP/Unsplash)