Tuesday, September 14, 2021

Iran holding 'internal consultations' on return to nuclear talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said on Monday that the new Iranian administration is holding "internal consultations" on how to continue negotiations concerning the 2015 nuclear agreement, Xinhua reports.

"Despite internal consultations at the beginning of its tenure on how to continue Vienna talks, the Iranian government has made clear that it will welcome negotiations that have tangible results and serve the rights and interests of the people," Amir Abdollahian told his British counterpart Dominic Raab, according to the report.

The Iranian government expects "all illegal sanctions" against Iran to be canceled, he stressed.

The comments come a after Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that they had agreed to allow inspectors to service the agency's surveillance equipment as Tehran has restricted access since earlier this year.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi flew to Tehran for talks aimed at easing a standoff between Iran and the West over talks on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

He later said the agreement on servicing the agency's equipment would be put into practice "within a few days, very soon".

Iran has gradually scaled back its compliance with the 2015 deal in response to former US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the agreement in May of 2018, though it has been holding indirect talks with the US on a return to the agreement.

The negotiations were adjourned on June 20, two days after Ebrahim Raisi won Iran's presidential election, and no date has been set for a resumption of dialogue.

US Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley said recently that Washington "can't wait forever" for Tehran to decide whether it wants to restart the talks.

In response, Iran said the United States is the one that withdrew from the deal, violated the resolution, and threatened those seeking to implement the agreement with punishment.