Iran says it has responded to a final European Union-brokered proposal on reviving a 2015 nuclear accord, though details of the response were not immediately released.
The official IRNA news agency reported on August 16 that negotiators had submitted their reply and suggested that Tehran still wouldn’t accept the EU proposal, despite warnings there would be no more negotiations.
“The differences are on three issues, in which the United States has expressed its verbal flexibility in two cases, but it should be included in the text,” the IRNA report said. “The third issue is related to guaranteeing the continuation of [the deal], which depends on the realism of the United States.”
“Iran has submitted a written response to the draft text of a Vienna agreement and has announced that an agreement will be concluded if the United States reacts with realism and flexibility,” the agency reported.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was quoted earlier quoted by IRNA as saying that “the American side has verbally accepted the two demands” made by Tehran.
A spokesman for the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, confirmed that Tehran had submitted its response and said it was being studied.
“We are studying it and are consulting with the other JCPOA participants and the U.S. on the way ahead,” the spokesperson said, referring to the formal title of the 2015 nuclear pact.
He did not give any details on what the response contained.
The possibility of reviving the deal, which could lead to the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Iran’s oil output, has helped trigger a fall in global oil prices.
The landmark agreement has been on hold since U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018, and reimposed crippling sanctions.
The main countries negotiating with Iran have been waiting for Tehran’s response to the final draft which was submitted by Borrell last week.
IRNA quoted an unidentified Iranian diplomat as saying that “the European Union’s proposals were acceptable so long as they provide assurances to Iran on various points related to sanctions and safeguards” as well as pending issues with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia resumed talks with Iran on the accord earlier in August after a months-long hiatus. The United States has been participating indirectly.
Source » voanews