World Powers to resume Iran-US Nuclear Talks in Vienna

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On Tuesday, the world powers were set to resume high-level talks in Vienna. These talks are focused on bringing the US back into the nuclear deal with Iran in their first session since comments surfaced from the Iranian foreign minister alleging that Russia was trying to scupper the pact. The Russian Foreign Ministry has rejected to comment on the remarks from Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.  Russian top representative at the Vienna talks, Mikhail Ulyanov has outwardly been one of the most optimistic about the possibility of getting Tehran and Washington to agree to terms for the US to rejoin the 2015 deal. He tweeted and said, “The participants will continue negotiations on restoration of the nuclear deal”.

Ulyanov is joining representatives from China, Germany, France, and Britain. The other parties to the deal known as the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) for the talks, was chaired by the European Union. Before the talks, the EU delegation said, “Participants will continue their discussions in view of a possible return of the United States to the JCPOA and on how to ensure the full and effective implementation of the JCPOA”. The US isn’t at the table because it unilaterally pulled out of the deal in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump who restored and augmented American sanctions in a campaign of maximum pressure to try and force Iran into renegotiating the pact with more concessions.  President Joe Biden needs to rejoin the deal, so there is a US delegation in Vienna taking part in indirect talks with Iran.

The Vienna talks started in early April and there have been several rounds of high-level discussions. Expert groups have been working on proposals on how to resolve the issues around American sanctions and Iranian compliance, including the possible sequencing of the US return. Point to be noted that the deal promises Iran economic incentives in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program. The re-imposition of American sanctions has left the country’s economy reeling and Tehran has reacted with increasing its violations of the restrictions of the deal, such as increasing the purity of uranium it enriches and its stockpiles to pressure other countries to get relief. The major objective of the deal is to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb because Tehran now has enough enriched uranium to make a bomb.