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Updated November 29th, 2021 at 06:20 IST

Iran to resume new round of nuclear talks in Vienna with US, EU & China

On Monday, talks to resurrect the Iran nuclear deal will resume in Vienna. It will be seventh round of talks involving the US, Iran, European nations, and China

Reported by: Aparna Shandilya
Iran
Image: AP | Image:self
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On Monday, talks to resurrect the Iran nuclear deal will resume in Vienna. It will be the seventh round of talks involving the US, Iran, European nations and China, but the first in almost six months. To summarise, the 2015 agreement exempted Iran from economic sanctions in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear programme. In 2018, President Trump reneged on the accord, reimposing sanctions that the US had previously withdrawn. Iran retaliated by gradually increasing the machinery used to enrich uranium, the nuclear fuel required for a bomb.

Iran and the United States, as well as the other international countries involved in the agreement, say they want it to be restored. However, they have been unable to agree on who will take the first steps. The discussions could either free Iran from hundreds of economic sanctions imposed by the West, or they could tighten the economic noose and increase the possibility of Israeli military attacks. The enormity of Iran's negotiation demands, Iran's new administration's ideological orientation, and Western worries that Iran is covertly increasing its nuclear programme have fostered a sense of despair.

Biden volunteered to re-enter the nuclear deal

Joe Biden has volunteered to re-enter the nuclear deal that Donald Trump pulled out of in 2018, but Iran and the US are at odds about the exact US sanctions on Iran. On Monday afternoon, Iran, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the European Union will hold formal negotiations at the Coburg hotel, following a round of bilateral meetings on Sunday. Iran has stated once again that it will not engage in direct negotiations with the US delegation, according to The Guardian. According to the media agency, the nearly 30-strong Iranian negotiation team was impressive and a good indication, Russia's ambassador to the talks, stated. However, he warned that the talks can't last forever after the five-month postponement. There is a clear need to expedite the process. 

The new Iranian regime claims, at least rhetorically, that it is coming to the talks not simply to pick up where the six previous rounds of talks left off, but to play new cards, including a demand for financial compensation from the United States for previous sanctions, and, more problematically, a guarantee that the United States will not leave the agreement again. Both requests are absurd in the eyes of the west, and if pushed seriously in Vienna, the discussions will collapse, reportedly. Biden has stated that if he rejoins the deal, his government will not depart again, which is viewed as the only constitutional assurance he can offer, according to The Guardian.

Iran could be four to six weeks away from the "breakout time" it needs to amass enough fissile material for a single nuclear bomb, according to UK diplomats, the media agency reported. The west is unsure, in part because UN nuclear inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been denied full access to the disputed nuclear facilities, and discussions to restore access broke down last week. The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) director general, Raphael Grossi, promised to return to Tehran again on Friday, but received no response. Iran is still a long way from being able to weaponize its nuclear material, which it claims it does not want.

US & allies likely to challenge Iran at IAEA if Vienna talks fail

If the Iran nuclear talks fail in Vienna, the US and its allies are likely to challenge Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency next month by calling for an emergency meeting. Naftali Bennett, Israel's prime minister, is forming a coalition to take severe steps against Iran if the talks fail. Diplomats doubt that Iran is under enough economic or political pressure to rejoin the plan, but they refer to the rising fortnight-long protests in Isfahan as evidence that the country is more vulnerable than it appears. For Iran, lifting economic sanctions is still a primary goal.

(With inputs from agencies)

Image: AP

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Published November 29th, 2021 at 06:20 IST

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