Iran rules out likelihood of 'interim' agreement in Vienna talks

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Tehran, Jan 11 (IANS) Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh has ruled out the likelihood of a temporary deal between Tehran and remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the JCPOA, in the ongoing Vienna meetings, saying that such a deal will not meet the Islamic Republic's demands.

"We should all try to make sure that the return of the United States to the JCPOA is accompanied by necessary guarantees and verification, and that the lifting of sanctions which should have been done under the JCPOA is done effectively," said Khatibzadeh, adding that none of these can be achieved by an "interim" agreement.

Making the remarks in his press briefing on Monday, Khatibzadeh noted that "we are looking for a stable and reliable agreement, and no agreement that does not have these two components is on our agenda", reports Xinhua news agency.

He emphasised that Vienna talks are only about ensuring a full, responsible and verifiable return of the US to the JCPOA, and Iran will not accept the raise of any issue in the Vienna talks out of the framework of 2015 deal.

As for the progress of the negotiations in Vienna, he said that "we negotiate neither pessimistically nor optimistically. We negotiate based on reality".

On January 8, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani, said that the disputes over lifting sanctions are decreasing in Vienna talks.

New rounds of nuclear talks began on November 29, 2021 in Vienna, after a nearly six months of hiatus, between representatives of Iran and those of the P4+1 group, comprising the UK, China, France, Russia plus Germany, with the US indirectly involved.

The talks have mainly focused on removal of US sanctions against Iran and the return of Washington to the deal from which it withdrew in 2018.

--IANS

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