Iran urges parties in Vienna talks to ‘make decisions’ on nuke deal

A view shows traffic on Azadi street in Iran's capital Tehran on April 20, 2021. (PHOTO / AFP)

TEHRAN – The Iranian spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday urged the parties in the Vienna talks to make their decisions on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"We have made and announced the decisions we should have made, and now it is the turn of the parties (in Vienna talks) to make their own decisions," Saeed Khatibzadeh said in his weekly press conference.

Despite progresses in the Vienna negotiations, the parties have announced that some "serious" differences have not been bridged

Asked if the agreement on the JCPOA has been postponed to the next Iranian government, Khatibzadeh said "it does not matter in which government and within what time span the agreement is reached."

Iran and the P4+1, namely Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany, with the United States indirectly involved, have had six rounds of negotiations in Austrian capital Vienna since April aimed at reviving the JCPOA.

ALSO READ: Iran says nuclear site images won't be given to IAEA

Despite progresses in the negotiations, the parties have announced that some "serious" differences have not been bridged.

At the end of the latest round of talks, the Iranian senior nuclear negotiator, Abbas Araqchi, said that it was the time for the parties to make their "decisions" over the remaining issues.

The US government under former President Donald Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 and unilaterally reimposed sanctions on Iran. In response, Iran gradually stopped implementing parts of its commitments to the agreement from May 2019.

Khatibzadeh also said on Monday it has yet to decide whether to extend a monitoring deal with the UN nuclear watchdog which lapsed last week, amid Washington's warning that Tehran's failure to renew it would complicate talks to revive its 2015 nuclear accord.

READ MORE: IAEA demands Iran answer on nuclear monitoring pact

"No decision has been made yet, either negative or positive, about extending the monitoring deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," he said.

The French foreign ministry said Iran must resume co-operating with the IAEA and immediately restore full access to it.

With inputs from Reuters