Iranian lawmakers renew demand for guarantees in Vienna talks
TEHRAN – A group of Iranian lawmakers has urged Iranian negotiators in Vienna to secure demands that the United States won’t quit the 2015 nuclear deal again in case it is revived.
The lawmakers urged the negotiating team in the talks with the P4+1 group of countries in Vienna to protect the fundamental elements of the country’s nuclear program as the “strongest guarantee” that the United States will never repeat the violation of its obligations as per the landmark 2015 Iran deal, Press TV reported.
“We call on the negotiating team to seriously pursue obtaining adequate economic, technical and political guarantees from the American side to ensure that this country will not repeat its illegal withdrawal from the agreement,” the legislators said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
It also stressed the importance of demanding compensation from the United States for the damages it has inflicted on the Iranian people’s livelihood.
The Iranian lawmakers called on the negotiating team not to be bound by deadlines set by the West, follow up on national interests and main demands, and observe the country’s red lines, without wasting time.
“Now that the Ukraine crisis has led to an increase in the West’s need for Iran’s energy, America’s need for a reduction in oil prices must not be met without the fulfillment of Iran’s demands,” they said.
The Iranian lawmakers urged a “comprehensive and effective” removal of the US sanctions, rejecting any pretexts such as the non-nuclear label of the restrictions or their being unrelated to the 2015 deal, officially named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
According to the statement, verification of the sanctions removal is a legitimate right of the Islamic Republic.
“Verification of the sanctions removal must be objective, accurate, and purely done by Iran. Weak statements of the United States and Europe should not suffice,” it said.
It added that the precise settlement of the safeguards issues between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is necessary in order to achieve a durable agreement in Vienna, and the UN nuclear watchdog must close the case of baseless claims against Iran.
The lawmakers said they would pursue any agreement which would enable Iran to enjoy all the economic benefits stipulated in the JCPOA and restore the Iranian nation’s rights.
While emphasizing the importance of sanctions removal, they said the key to solving the problems of the country’s economy is neutralizing the sanctions and called on the administration to adopt strategies to make that happen.
Iranian President Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi underlined on Tuesday that Iran won’t back down from its red lines in the talks in Vienna over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.
Addressing a formal session of the Assembly of Experts, the president said, “We have not backed down and will not back down from any of [our] red lines.”
Referring to the issue of nuclear talks, the president explained the government's strategy in this regard, "In the first step, the government seriously pursued the lifting of sanctions, and in the second step, it seeks to lift the sanctions in negotiations that are based on complete respect."
Raisi emphasized, "The popular administration is following the nuclear talks in full accordance with the principles and framework set by the Supreme Leader and has not and will not back down from any of the announced red lines."