TEHRAN – A senior Iranian expert has said that the United States is yet to make a decision on the talks in Vienna due to internal disputes. 

The expert, Seyed Mohammad Marandi, said the internal disputes of the U.S. are the main obstacle to concluding the talks in Vienna over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“According to the Americans, Iran has been able to gain significant concessions in Vienna, so during the talks, some members of the American delegation resigned and left the team in protest,” Marandi, a professor at the University of Tehran, told official news agency IRNA. 

“On the other hand, when Mr. Malley went to Congress and reported on the negotiation process, the reactions were negative. That is, members of Congress protested, believing that the American team had retreated too much,” he added, referring to the U.S. envoy for Iran Rob Malley who came under fire in Washington for allegedly going soft on Iran during the Vienna talks.

Marandi said the American negotiators lost their appetite for a final deal in the last days of the negotiations. 

“In the last days of the negotiations, things were moving fast, but on various issues, including verification, lifting of sanctions, guarantees, as well as the IRGC, the Americans stopped working at once.”

Underlining that the problem is from within the United States, Marandi noted, “The failure to reach an agreement is due to U.S. internal problems, and the growing problems of the Ukraine war for the U.S. are a push for Biden to accept the need for an agreement.”

He said that all other parties have no problem with finalizing the deal. So “it remains to be seen what Biden will do to go on,” he said. 
 
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian spoke on the phone with EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell on Friday evening about the latest status of talks on lifting sanctions, as well as some important regional and international issues.

In the telephone conversation, the Iranian minister of foreign affairs referred to the continuation of consultations to lift the sanctions. He stated that there is no doubt about the determination of the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to reach a “good, strong and lasting agreement”.

He added that the White House must put aside excessive demands and hesitation and take a step towards realism and propose solutions.

Referring to the long efforts of all parties in Vienna, the Iranian foreign minister said that the three European countries, Russia and China, are now ready to finalize the agreement. He said the current U.S. administration must have the courage to correct the White House’s past wrong policies.

Amir Abdollahian appreciated the tireless efforts of Borrell and his deputy Enrique Mora, emphasizing that now diplomacy is working properly and well.

Referring to the positive will of the Iranian side in the Vienna talks, Borrel also said, “We believe that Iran wants an agreement and that there have been various initiatives which still exist and continue.”

The EU foreign policy chief said the prolongation of the break in the talks is not constructive and suggested that talks between the EU envoy and Iran's chief negotiator be resumed closely.

Borrell also referred to the war in Ukraine, describing it as a global crisis that could have negative consequences.