This handout photo taken and released on May 1, 2021 by the EU Delegation in Vienna shows delegation members from the parties to the Iran nuclear deal – Germany, France, Britain, China, Russia and Iran – attending a meeting at the Grand Hotel of Vienna as they try to restore the deal. (HANDOUT / EU DELEGATION IN VIENNA / AFP)
TEHRAN – Iran's senior negotiator in Vienna talks aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal said Saturday that negotiating parties have reached "common ground in many cases," but there are still differences.
Remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), namely Iran, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany still have disagreements, but as a result of consultations, these points of differences have become clearer, Abbas Araqchi, also Iranian deputy foreign minister, was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.
At the latest round of talks in Vienna, which started on Tuesday, negotiations were held at various levels and formats, and "they were very intensive," said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi
At the latest round of talks in Vienna, which started on Tuesday, negotiations were held at various levels and formats, and "they were very intensive," Araqchi said.
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On Saturday, "we decided to pause (the talks) to summarize the discussions," he added.
In some areas, "we have started writing the text, which is done very slowly," as the work requires precision, he said, adding the trend is moving forward.
Araghchi said there was an “agreement in place” over lifting sanctions on “most individuals” and on Iran’s energy, autos, financial, insurance and ports sectors, adding that negotiations were “ongoing” on penalties that apply to other individuals.
He gave no additional details, and US officials attending the talks in Vienna didn’t immediately comment. The US isn’t negotiating directly with Iran, but is participating in the discussions led by the other parties to the treaty.
Based on the JCPOA, Iran agreed in 2015 to roll back parts of its nuclear program in exchange for decreased economic sanctions.
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However, Iran gradually stopped implementing parts of its JCPOA commitments since May 2019, one year after the former US President Donald Trump's administration unilaterally withdrew from the agreement and re-imposed sanctions on Iran.
One European official sounded a more cautious note, saying that much was still needed to reach a deal and that there was little time left.
The official said they’d hoped more progress could have been made over the past week, and that an understanding has yet to be reached on the most critical points. The official asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.
“Talks have reached a level of maturity, in terms of both contentious issues as well as points over which there’s agreement,” Araghchi said, according to Fars.
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With Bloomberg inputs