Iran Repeats: No Partial Steps On JCPOA Revival

Iran has reiterated it will not consider in the Vienna talks any interim arrangement towards reviving the 2015 nuclear accord.

During his weekly briefing Tuesday, government spokesman Ali Bahadori Jahromi repeated that Iranian negotiators retained their focus on guarantees and verification over lifting United States sanctions once the 2015 deal is back in place. Jahromi rejected speculation that President Ebrahim Raisi (Raeesi) had discussed the possibility of an interim agreement during his recent visit to Moscow and insisted this was not on the agenda in Vienna.

Earlier in the week, Iran's ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, refuted reports that Russia has proposed that Iran accept an interim arrangement that would see Iran given specific sanctions relief in return for again accepting some of the nuclear curbs required under the 2015 accord, the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).

US officials have said the ideaof an interim accord was proposed by Russia, with Washington made aware of the move. Although there have been rumors − encouraged by South Korea transferring Iranian money to pay Tehran’s backdated United Nations dues − of the US ‘allowing’ Asian states to release Iranian funds frozen in fear of US sanctions, no specifics have emerged. Iranian officials have repeated called on the US to take ‘good-will measures.’