(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. It is hard to
predict how the talks between Iran and the US about the Islamic
Republic's nuclear program will proceed, whether they will be
direct or indirect, through other parties, said Rahman
Ghahramanpour, an Iranian expert on international affairs, Trend reports.
According to Ghahramanpour, inaccurate reports suggest that
direct talks between Iran and the US are likely to take place.
However, Iran denies this information. It seems that Iran does not
want to give any concessions to the US side.
With all this going on, Japan has recently made a move to back
up the possible return to the JCPOA, according to Iranian Foreign
Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian. On September 26, Abdollahian
said that Iran supports Japan's constructive role in restoring the
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Islamic
Republic's nuclear program.
Ghahramanpour reminded that Spokesperson for the U.S. Department
of State Matthew Miller said, "We are not aware of Japan's plan,"
indicating that the U.S. does not want to make concessions too.
"In fact, the two sides do not want to show that they are
interested in discussion and understanding. In addition to the
JCPOA, the US wants to include regional issues and Iran's missile
program in the discussions. However, Iran does not agree with the
comprehensive understanding plan proposed by the US. Iran wants the
US to return to the JCPOA. But the US does not want to return to
the plan. Because it thinks that the nuclear disarmament value of
the JCPOA is decreasing," the expert said.
Ghahramanpour also pointed out that it is believed that Japan
wants to mediate the restoration of the Comprehensive Joint Action
Plan in the 5+1 (the US, the UK, France, Russia, China and Germany)
format. However, this format currently seems impossible for a
number of global issues (Ukraine conflict, etc.).
The expert noted that the predicted format is for Iran and the
US to negotiate with the participation of a mediator. So, if there
is progress in the discussions, the two sides can find a suitable
road map.
On January 16, 2016, Iran's nuclear program triggered the
creation of the JCPOA between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia,
China, UK, France, and Germany). However, on May 8, 2018, the US
announced its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA) between Iran and the 5+1 group (Russia, China, the
UK, France, the US, and Germany) and imposed new sanctions against
Iran as of November 2018.
The sanctions affected Iranian oil exports and more than 700
banks, companies, and individuals. The sanctions have resulted in
the freezing of Iranian assets abroad.
In 2020, Iranian government announced that it would not fulfill
any of its obligations under the plan, based on the sanctions
imposed by the US and the failure of the European members of the
JCPOA (the UK, France and Germany) to fully implement the
provisions of the plan.
In late 2020, the Iranian parliament decided to implement a
strategic plan to tackle the sanctions, citing the
non-implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
(JCPOA) signed between Iran and six countries and the imposition of
sanctions on Iran. According to the decision of the Iranian
parliament, as of February 23, Iran suspended the implementation of
additional steps and an additional protocol provided for in the
nuclear deal. As a result, the control mechanism of the IAEA
decreased by 20–30 percent.
Iran is currently looking for various ways to resume discussions
with the other parties regarding its nuclear program and eventually
restore the JCPOA.
The country is mainly trying to achieve the abolition of
sanctions imposed by the US and Western countries, the removal of
its funds frozen abroad, and the abolition of the restriction on
the export of crude oil. In return, the US and Western countries
want Iran not to acquire an atomic bomb, to keep its nuclear
program under control, and to reduce the level of uranium
enrichment.
---
Follow the author on X (Twitter): @BaghishovElnur
MENAFN28092023000187011040ID1107157519
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.