Iran strikes hard-line a day after N-deal talks resume
Iran struck a hard line on Tuesday after just one day of restarted talks in Vienna over its tattered nuclear deal, suggesting everything discussed in previous rounds of diplomacy could be renegotiated.
Speaking to Iranian state television, Ali Bagheri, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, referred to everything discussed thus far as merely a “draft.”
It remained unclear whether that represented an opening gambit by Iran’s new president or signaled serious trouble for those hoping to restore the 2015 deal that saw Tehran strictly limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. The United States left the deal under then-President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran in 2018.
Since the deal’s collapse, Iran now enriches small amounts of uranium up to 60% purity — a short step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iran also spins advanced centrifuges barred by the accord, and its uranium stockpile now far exceeds the accord’s limits. President Joe Biden has said America’s willing to re-enter the deal, though the negotiations continue with US officials not in the room as in previous rounds of talks since Washington’s withdrawal. “Drafts are subject to negotiation. Therefore nothing is agreed on unless everything has been agreed on,” Bagheri said. “On that basis, all discussions that took place in the six rounds are summarised and are subject to negotiations. This was admitted by all parties in today’s meeting as well.”
That directly contradicted comments on Monday by the European Union diplomat leading the talks. “The Iranian delegation represents a new administration in Tehran with new understandable political sensibilities, but they have accepted that the work done over the six first rounds is a good basis to build our work ahead, so no point in going back,” Enrique Mora said.
Another state TV segment saw Bagheri in Vienna saying Iran demanded a “guarantee by America not to impose new sanctions” or not re-impose previously lifted sanctions.
Speaking to Iranian state television, Ali Bagheri, Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, referred to everything discussed thus far as merely a ‘draft’