June 25, 2021
2 mins read

‘Iran should not be playing brinksmanship on IAEA pact’

Iran struck a deal with major powers in 2015 to curb its uranium enrichment program, a possible pathway to nuclear arms, in return for the lifting of US…reports Asian Lite News

Washington may need to rethink its approach to Iran if the serious differences between the two countries on resuming compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal cannot be resolved “in the foreseeable future,” a senior US official said on Thursday.

“We still have serious differences … over the host of issues, whether it’s the nuclear steps that Iran needs to take to come back into compliance, the sanctions relief that the US would be offering or the sequence of steps that both sides would be taking,” the official told reporters on a conference call.

“This process is not going to be open forever,” the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We do have differences and if we can’t bridge them in the foreseeable future, I think we are going to have to regroup and figure out how we … move ahead.”

The sixth round of indirect talks adjourned on Sunday, two days after hard-liner Ebrahim Raisi, the Iranian judiciary chief who is subject to US sanctions, was elected president of the Islamic Republic. Raisi is due to take office in August.

The official said the US delegation expected to return to Vienna for a seventh round in the not-too-distant future but he did not know when, suggesting the key factor would be internal Iranian consultations following Raisi’s election.

Iran struck a deal with major powers in 2015 to curb its uranium enrichment program, a possible pathway to nuclear arms, in return for the lifting of US, European Union and UN sanctions.

Former US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018 and reimposed harsh sanctions, prompting Tehran to start violating some of the nuclear limits in 2019 while sticking to its position that it had no nuclear weapons ambitions. US President Joe Biden is seeking to revive the agreement.

The senior US official declined to detail the sticking points in the talks, which are indirect because Iran refuses to sit down with the US side. European diplomats are the main intermediaries.

An official involved in the talks said Iran’s enrichment with large numbers of advanced centrifuges is an unresolved issue, as is Iran’s demand that it “verify” US compliance before curbing its nuclear program.

This official said verification meant the easing of US sanctions, Iran’s export of some of oil and its payment through an international bank before Tehran would take steps to make its program less capable of being used to make nuclear weapons.

Under the 2015 deal, Iran was only allowed to use advanced centrifuges in small numbers and not to accumulate enriched uranium with them.

A Western diplomat agreed there was a major stumbling block on the sequencing of steps, with the Iranians demanding immediate access to US dollars and to the international banking sector.

The Western diplomat also said advanced centrifuges, which can produce highly enriched uranium more efficiently, was a sticking point and suggested there was some possibility that Iran might be allowed to keep some of these.

ALSO READ: UAE-based Indian national sanctioned for smuggling Iranian oil

Previous Story

Mumbai terror attack suspect Tahawwur Rana, to remain in US

Next Story

6 bills to rein in Big Tech firms hurtle forward in Congress

Latest from Asia News

WUC Intensifies Global Call for Uyghur Justice

WUC delegation undertook a week-long advocacy tour in Germany, where it met with Turkish NGOs and community leaders….reports Asian Lite News The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has published its monthly brief, strengthening

India Urges Bangladesh to Act on Minority Attacks

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal urged the Yunus government to probe extremist attacks on minorities….reports Asian Lite News India on Friday criticised recent comments by Bangladesh’s Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, asserting that

Jaffar Express Targeted Yet Again

blast happened at a distance of one kilometre from the Sultan Kot railway station….reports Asian Lite News At least seven injured as blast hits Quetta-bound Jaffar Express in Sindh’s Shikarpur district. Shikarpur

One Year On, Where Is Bangladesh Headed?

Since taking charge as head of the interim government, Nobel Laureate Yunus Mohammed pledged reform — promising fair elections and transparent governance. A year on, those promises remain unfulfilled….writes Ashok Parameswar Did
Go toTop

Don't Miss

‘Explicit and constructive’: Iran on nuke talks with Europe

Borrell said the ongoing cooperation and negotiations between Iran and

Iran, Russia Deepen Ties to Counter US Sanctions

Raisi expressed satisfaction with the growing bilateral relations, saying cooperation