European Union's Josep Borrell says talks with Iran on nuclear deal 'unblocked'

The European Union's High Representative For Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has expressed hope that the stalled talks with Iran over the nuclear program could reach a final deal. He said that the negotiations that were "blocked" have been "deblocked," according to AP. Josep Borrell said that the talks between EU envoy Enrique Mora and Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani in Tehran have "gone better than expected." Borrell made the remarks on the sidelines of a meeting of the Group of Seven major economies in Germany. 

According to Borrell, the talks between Tehran and world powers have been stalled due to the disagreement over the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Borrell said that the negotiations have been stalled for two months and stressed that "these kind of things cannot be solved overnight." Highlighting that the negotiations had been "deblocked," Josep Borrell said that there is a possibility of "reaching an agreement," as per AP. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian also reacted to the meeting between EU Envoy Enrique Mora and Iran nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Hossein Amir Abdollahian described the meeting as "another opportunity to focus on initiatives to resolve the remaining issues." He further added, "A good and reliable outcome is within reach if the US makes its decision and adheres to its commitments." 

Prior to his visit to Tehran, Enrique Mora had said that he would hold talks with Iranian negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani on the Vienna convention and other issues. Mora in the tweet said, "Work on closing the remaining gaps of this negotiation continues." Notably, the Iran nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed between Iran and several world powers, including the United States. Former US President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from it in 2018. However, US President Joe Biden committed to rejoining the deal. Talks to return to the deal have begun more than a year ago. According to AP, the negotiations have stalled since breaking off in March.  

Meanwhile, the EU’s envoy, Enrique Mora, was briefly detained with colleagues at Frankfurt Airport while heading from Tehran to Brussels. Mora later informed on Twitter about his release and added that he and his colleagues were kept separated. He added, "Refusal to give any explanation for what seems a violation of the Vienna Convention."

Image: AP

Inputs from AP