The European Union (EU) said on Friday that it had succeeded in breaking the deadlock in negotiations to salvage the Iranian nuclear agreement, but the United States immediately warned that a compromise with Iran was “far from‘ achievable ’.
Negotiations stopped and they reopenedaccepted the head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell after a meticulous mission of his emissary to Tehran – his last cartridge to unlock conversations, in his own words before the trip.
” There is a possibility of reaching a final agreement. “
Mr. Borell made the statement in Germany, where he attended a G7 ministerial meeting.
L ‘EU coordinate the indirect negotiations that opened last year in Vienna between the United States and Iran to revive the 2015 agreement, which should have prevented the Islamic Republic from making atomic bombs.
The agreement is about to expire since the 2018 unilateral withdrawal of the United States: under the leadership of Donald Trump, it has re-imposed restrictive sanctions on Tehran, leading in response to its gradual withdrawal from the agreement- even the Iranian authorities continue to deny the will of nuclear. weapons.
The election of Joe Biden to the White House revived efforts to revive the agreement, but negotiations stalled for two months even though a draft text seemed within reach of the signature.
A previous shuttle by Enrique Mora, Josep Borrell’s right arm, between Tehran and Washington at the end of March did not lead to a breakthrough.
Concurrent with the Emir of Qatar’s attempt to mediate with Iran’s top leader, Mr. Mora, chief negotiator ofEU for this file, therefore returned to Iran where he met his Iranian counterpart Ali Bagheri on Thursday.
The question of the Revolutionary Guards
I evaluate this meeting in Iran very positively. Negotiations stalled for two months due to disagreements over what to do with the Revolutionary Guards.explained the head of diplomacy ofEU.
One of the last hurdles was Tehran’s request that the United States remove the Revolutionary Guards, its ideological army, from the American blacklist of foreign terrorist organizations.
Washington ensures that this sanction, ruled by Donald Trump after withdrawal from the agreement, has no connection to nuclear power and cannot be discussed within the framework of these negotiations. Josep Borrell promised to suggest a middle lane.
Such things cannot be solved overnight. Let’s say things are blocked and they are unblockedhe said on Friday, making sure theEU conveyed the message to the negotiators it cannot go on like this.
The response has been pretty positivehe was delighted.
An agreement remains far from certain
However, hopes in Europe were quickly cooled by the United States.
American diplomacy spokesman Ned Price admitted to thanking Enrique Mora for him important task to re -launch the exchanges after several weeks of unnecessary delay.
That being said, at this stage an agreement remains far from certain., he warned in response to journalists. The Biden government, which however vehemently defends a return to the agreement despite harsh criticism from the Republican opposition and part of its own Democratic camp, continues to prepare for all scenariosa diplomatic result or a failure of dialogue, he added.
For the U.S. State Department, Iran must decide whether to insist on irrelevant conditions with nuclear or if he wants to deal quickly.
We and our partners have been ready for some time. But the ball is really on Iran’s court.added Ned Price.
The two rival countries, which have had no diplomatic relations for more than 40 years, have both blamed each other for blocking for weeks.
A satisfactory and reliable outcome will be reached if the United States decides and fulfills its promises.Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian commented on Twitter.
Source: Radio-Canada
