Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian
Iran’s foreign minister told his Irish counterpart Tuesday, that Washington “must correct Trump's illegal behavior with a realistic approach” and take a political step to reach a nuclear agreement.
Talks in Vienna to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), have been in limbo since mid-March when Iran insisted that its Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) be removed from the US list of terrorist organizations. The US has not agreed to the demand.
Former US president Donald Trump withdrew from, JCPOA, and imposed heavy sanctions on Iran.
Earlier, Amir-Abdollahian had said negotiations on restoring the 2015 Iran deal have not been paused, noting that Tehran and Washington are in indirect correspondence.
He told Yemen’s Almasirah television network on Tuesday, “The Vienna talks have not been paused, but they continue in another process to remove the unilateral sanctions imposed on us and through the exchange of written messages with the Americans through the EU representative”.
Reiterating that “Removing sanctions in all areas and receiving economic guarantees are among the most important items on our negotiating team’s agenda”, he added that Tehran’s objective in the talks is to reach a “strong” and “permanent” agreement.
Enrique Mora, the senior EU official chairing the Vienna process, has told Iranian negotiators he is ready to return to Tehran to open a pathway through the deadlock, diplomats told the Wall Street Journal. Mora failed to convince Tehran to return to the talks during his March 27 visit.