Iran demands stronger US guarantees of lifting sanctions to reach nuke deal

"If America acts realistically and strengthens the existing text, an agreement will be within reach," the Iranian Foreign Minister said

The Iranian Foreign Minister has demanded "a stronger text" from the US over its guarantees of lifting sanctions in order to reach an agreement to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, official IRNA news agency reported.

"Regarding lifting sanctions, we recently received the latest text from the American side, and my colleagues are carefully reviewing the text," Amir-Abdollahian said on Wednesday during his joint press conference with his Russian counterpart in Moscow.

"We still need a stronger text on the issue of guarantees," he added.

"If America acts realistically and strengthens the existing text, an agreement will be within reach," the Minister said.

The Iranian top diplomat also demanded the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) refrain from "political behaviour," noting Iran won't accept any continued accusation made by IAEA when all the parties return to the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Iran and the US are indirectly exchanging views about a recent proposal by the European Union aimed at resolving the outstanding issues on revival of the JCPOA, Xinhua news agency reported.

Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear programme in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. However, former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact.

The talks on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal began in April 2021 in Vienna but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington.

The latest round of the nuclear talks was held in the Austrian capital in early August after a five-month hiatus. On August 8, the EU put forward a "final text" of the draft decision on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

--IANS

int/khz/