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Iran, U.S. lock horns over sanctions relief, nuclear curbs in Vienna talks
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A meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Joint Commission is held in Vienna, Austria, June 20, 2021. /Xinhua

A meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action Joint Commission is held in Vienna, Austria, June 20, 2021. /Xinhua

Iran and the United States are displaying little flexibility on core issues in indirect nuclear talks, raising questions about whether a compromise can be found soon to renew a 2015 deal that could dispel fears of a wider Middle East war, diplomats say.

After eight rounds of talks, the thorniest points remain the speed and scope of lifting sanctions on Tehran, including Iran's demand for a U.S. guarantee of no further punitive steps, and how and when to restore curbs on Iran's atomic work.

The nuclear deal limited Iran's uranium enrichment activity to make it harder for it to develop nuclear arms in return for lifting international sanctions.

But former U.S. President Donald Trump ditched the pact in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions that badly damaged Iran's economy.

After waiting for a year, Iran responded to Trump's pressure by gradually breaching the accord, including rebuilding stockpiles of enriched uranium and installing advanced centrifuges to speed up output.

Following months of stop-start talks that began after Joe Biden replaced Trump in the White House, Western officials now say time is running out to resurrect the pact.

New-generation Iranian centrifuges are seen on display during Iran's National Nuclear Energy Day in Tehran, Iran, April 10, 2021. /Reuters

New-generation Iranian centrifuges are seen on display during Iran's National Nuclear Energy Day in Tehran, Iran, April 10, 2021. /Reuters

France said on Tuesday that despite some progress at the end of December, Iran and world powers were still far away from reviving the deal.

The United States on Wednesday cited "modest progress" in recent weeks, but not enough.

"Modest progress is also not sufficient if we are going to" revive the 2015 deal, State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

Iran insists on immediate removal of all Trump-era sanctions in a verifiable process. Washington has said it would remove curbs inconsistent with the 2015 pact if Iran resumed compliance with the deal, implying it would leave in place others such as those imposed under terrorism or human rights measures.

"Americans should give assurances that no new sanctions under any label would be imposed on Iran in future. We need guarantees that America will not abandon the deal again," said a senior Iranian official.

Iran's Nournews, a media outlet affiliated to the Supreme National Security Council, reported on Wednesday that Iran's key conditions at the talks "are assurances and verifications."

Source(s): Reuters

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