TEHRAN – The foreign ministers of Iran and Germany held a telephone conversation to discuss the situation around the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major world powers.

The Iranian foreign ministry said the two ministers discussed the latest developments in bilateral relations, the Vienna nuclear talks, and the region. 

During their talks held on Monday night, Heiko Maas asked about the health situation of Amir Abdollahian and wished him full recovery.

The Iranian foreign minister also referred to the upcoming talks in Vienna. He said the U.S. is to blame for the current situation according to the Iranian foreign ministry.

“The U.S. withdrawal [from the nuclear deal] and the failure of the three European countries to fulfill their obligations have increasingly deepened mistrust. Therefore, full removal of sanctions is a necessity,” he said.

Amir Abdollahian also reiterated the need for the European sides to avoid issuance of statements and comments, which fuel tensions.

“On the path to the talks and in media terms, using a language of force and threats is not helpful and the Islamic Republic of Iran will not give in to unfounded propaganda. Any inaccurate comment, which does not comply with the facts, can jeopardize ongoing efforts,” he said.

The German foreign minister also said his country understands Iran’s lack of trust. He noted that his country will put efforts into returning the U.S. to the nuclear deal, and also to help talks bear results.

During the conversation, which was held in a friendly atmosphere, regional issues were also reviewed.
On the current situation in Iraq, the Iranian foreign minister once more reiterated Iran’s condemnation of the attack on the residence of the Iraqi prime minister.  

The German foreign minister, in turn, touched on the joint stance of Germany and Iran to condemn the attack and underlined the necessity of continued support for peace and stability of Iraq.

The German Foreign Office also said that the conversation focused on the Vienna talks that are to be resumed later this month. 

“FM @HeikoMaas talked to Iranian FM @Amirabdolahian on the phone today. Main topic: resumption of talks in Vienna at the end of this month. Germany’s goal is & will remain to conclude these talks quickly to ensure a return to full compliance with the #JCPoA as soon as possible,” the German Foreign Office said on Twitter. 

Over the past few days, the Iranian foreign minister held extensive talks with his foreign counterpart despite being infected with Covid-19 and resting at home. The focus of these talks was to discuss the Vienna talks over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Amir Abdollahian also discussed the JCPOA-related issues with his Russian, Chinese, and British counterparts. 

In his conversation with British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Amir Abdollahian referred to the state of the Iran nuclear deal, blaming the disarray on the U.S. He reiterated that some other signatories to the deal are also at fault over the current situation due to their irresponsibility and silence toward Washington’s actions, according to Iran’s foreign ministry. 

The Iranian foreign minister said a success of the Vienna talks is contingent on the removal of all sanctions, the return of all sides to their obligations, giving necessary assurances about the implementation of all talks’ results, and verification of actions by the other sides.

Amir Abdollahian added that normalizing trade ties with Iran were one of the commitments made by the other sides under the nuclear deal. He said the promise must be honored in the Vienna talks.

The British foreign secretary also wished fast recovery from Covid for Amir Abdollahian. She expressed pleasure over setting a date to hold the nuclear deal’s joint commission. Liz Truss said the European troika is serious and eager about making progress in the Vienna talks.

In his phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Amir Abdollahian voiced hope the U.S. and the European signatories to the Iran nuclear deal will enter the Vienna talks realistically so that an agreement is reached swiftly. He added that the U.S. cannot push ahead with its failed maximum pressure policy and economic terrorism and at the same time claim it wants talks and an agreement.
Amir Abdollahian also referred to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s performing of its duties in Iran. He expressed confidence that cooperation between Iran and the IAEA will continue smoothly in line with agreements and rules.

The Chinese foreign minister welcomed the continuation of the nuclear talks and announced Beijing’s support for them. Wang blamed the U.S. for the obstacles to the implementation of the nuclear deal. He expressed hope that the U.S. will compensate its mistake by fully removing the anti-Iran sanctions so that the negotiations will produce good results in light of Iran’s positive approach.  

The nuclear deal was also among the issues discussed by Amir Abdollahian and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In the conversation, Amir Abdollahian referred to an agreement between Iran and the nuclear deal’s coordinator regarding the time of the 4+1 group’s talks with Tehran. He stressed that fast progress in talks is contingent upon the European troika and the U.S. adopting a realistic and constructive approach through avoiding demanding too much of Iran and making demands beyond the nuclear deal.

Amir Abdollahian said Iran takes into account the process and records of previous talks in Vienna, adding Tehran will insist on its demands forcefully.

The Iranian foreign minister reiterated that no one should even doubt Iran’s seriousness about the talks and the need for all sides to return to their obligations under the nuclear deal.

He also spoke of the latest U.S. sanctions on Iran. Amir Abdollahian said although Iran is pessimistic about the U.S. intentions, it will return to full compliance with the nuclear deal if Washington does the same and does not place increased demands on Iran.

Amir Abdollahian also referred to Iran’s constructive cooperation with the IAEA and underlined the need for its director-general to avoid taking political stances. He said Iran will continue its technical cooperation with the UN body.

The Russian foreign minister also stressed the importance of reviving the JCPOA. He said all sides, and first and foremost the U.S. must return to full compliance with the deal.

Lavrov noted that Moscow has always emphasized the need for the U.S. to stop destructive measures against the JCPOA.