US making excessive demands over nuclear deal restoration, claims Iran amid Vienna talks

As it was announced that Iran's nuclear deal is nearing an end, Foreign Minister of Iran, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian claimed on Sunday that the United States is after new conditions to restore the 2015 nuclear deal. He stated that the US is interested in presenting and imposing additional conditions outside the dialogue on the issue of easing sanctions, as per the reports of IRNA. He also said that the US has made excessive demands that violate some passages of the treaty in the last two or three weeks.

Amir-Abdollahian continued by stating that the Americans keep talking about the need for direct negotiations but that hasn't happened yet. Iran has been in talks with France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China in Austrian capital Vienna for a year to resurrect the 2015 accord, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The goal of the Vienna talks is for US to return to the nuclear deal

Iran was granted sanctions relief in the 2015 agreement in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear programme, ensuring that Tehran would not be able to produce nuclear weapons. However, former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the agreement in 2018 and reimposed harsh economic sanctions on Iran. 

The goal of the Vienna talks is for US to return to the nuclear deal by easing sanctions against Iran, and for Iran to fully comply with its obligations.

Iran's Foreign Minister said that they are seeking the easing of sanctions, but with dignity and in the context of a long-term accord, according to IRNA. He also said that Iran has stood by its red lines and would continue to do so. The talks came to a halt last month after Russia wanted assurances that sanctions imposed in response to its February 24 invasion of Ukraine would not harm its trade with Iran. Moscow announced a few days later that it had gotten all of the required assurances.

Iran agrees to Russia's demands

Amir-Abdollahian claimed that they agreed with Russian envoy that Russia would not be an obstacle if Iran secured an agreement in Vienna. He also said that they are near to wrapping up technical conversations with the three European countries. Tehran's demand is that the Revolutionary Guards, which is Iran's military's ideological branch, be removed from the US terror list.

Image: AP