Iran: "Nuclear Talks Made Progress but We Are Still Dissatisfied"

Ebrahim Raisi, President of Iran, is giving a live interview with state TV in the capital Tehran on the 25th of last month (local time). He reiterated his position that a nuclear deal with the West, including the United States, can only be possible if sanctions against his country are lifted.

Hossein Amirabdollahian, Iran's Foreign Minister, stated that he remains dissatisfied with the talks to restore the nuclear agreement (JCPOA - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).

According to the state-run IRIB broadcast on the 6th (local time), Minister Amirabdollahian made this remark during a phone call with Josep Borrell, the European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the previous day.

Minister Amirabdollahian said, "So far, positive progress has been made in the talks in Vienna, Austria, but the negotiations still fall short of our expectations."

He added that Iran is strongly committed to reaching a good agreement in these negotiations and will continue to maintain close contact with the EU to achieve this.

Borrell, who oversees the EU's foreign policy, responded, "The talks have reached a critical juncture, and representatives of each country must be prepared to make political decisions."

Since April last year, Iran has been negotiating with the 'P5+1' countries (the United States, United Kingdom, France, China, Russia, and Germany), seeking the lifting of all sanctions along with guarantees that sanctions will not be reinstated.

The Iran nuclear agreement is an international commitment made in 2015 between Iran and six countries: the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China) and Germany. The agreement centers on Iran freezing or reducing nuclear activities such as uranium enrichment, while the West lifts sanctions against Iran.

However, in May 2018, when the Donald Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear agreement and reinstated sanctions, Iran responded by limiting inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and resuming nuclear activities, including increasing uranium enrichment levels up to 60%.

U.S. President Joe Biden has shown strong commitment to restoring the nuclear agreement, even making it a campaign promise, and the Biden administration has participated in negotiations through indirect talks since taking office.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.