Iran denies direct talks with US in Vienna nuclear negotiations, says 'it's unnecessary'

Iran has denied the prospects of holding direct talks with the United States on the 2015 nuclear deal as it agreed to participate in a meeting in Austria’s capital next week. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif agreed to speak with the other participants P5+1 that include China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom to negotiate on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) during a virtual meeting as the country is set to resume nuclear talks in Vienna next Tuesday. Tehran’s aim, he said,  is to “rapidly finalise sanction-lifting and nuclear measures for choreographed removal of all sanctions, followed by Iran ceasing remedial measures,” according to the Anadolu Agency. But he said that talks with the United States separately will be a waste of time and “unnecessary.”

US, Iran to meet on sidelines of Vienna JCPOA talks 

Tehran and the United States are scheduled to meet as part of next week’s talks, to bring Islamic Republic to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal struck by Iran, the US, China, Russia, France, the UK, Germany, and the EU. Former Trump administration in 2018 had unilaterally scrapped the arrangement following Tehran’s breach of terms over the Uranium enrichment program. The former US president also slapped sanctions on the Iranian regime, which Tehran is now pressurising to be removed. 

In a statement to the agency on Friday, the US stated that it has agreed to participate in indirect nuclear talks starting next week to break the months-long impasse. However, the US Department of State spokesman Ned Price told a White House briefing that there would not be any direct talks with Iran. The US will engage in talks "with our European, Russian, and Chinese partners,” he confirmed to the reporters.

The US will help the allies in identifying "the issues involved in a mutual return to compliance with" the 2015 nuclear accord, Price said. While the US will not be participating in direct negotiations with Tehran, Price emphasised that the Biden administration "remains open to them.”  The US should first lift its sanctions, Iran has demanded, adding that it may then return to full Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) compliance. But the Biden administration, reportedly, has called on the hardline Iranian cleric leader Ebrahim Raisi to “act first.”