US: We are close to a possible agreement in the Vienna talks

According to Fars News Agency’s International Service, “Ned Price”, the spokesman of the US State Department, commented on the sanctions lifting talks in Vienna at a press conference on Friday evening.

Ned Price stated that “Robert Mali”, the US Special Representative for Iran, has returned to Washington for consultations. “Complex negotiations are underway, but we still believe that the parties are close to a possible agreement,” he said.

EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell, who also spoke by telephone with Hussein Amir-Abdollahian about the talks yesterday, said on Friday that talks needed to be interrupted.

Although numerous reports indicate that sabotage and new US demands have prevented the talks from concluding, a State Department spokesman at a news conference on Friday evening tried to drop the ball to Iran and Russia.

“Decisions need to be made in Tehran and Moscow,” Ned Price said. “We are confident that we can return to mutual commitment to the UN Security Council if those decisions are made in Tehran and Moscow.”

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Joseph Borrell in a telephone interview on Thursday that there were no logical justifications for the new US demands in the Vienna talks.

“There is no rational justification for the US to make some new demands, and it contradicts its position on a speedy agreement,” the Iranian foreign minister said in a telephone interview. “The main issues and the effective lifting of sanctions should not be influenced by the extravagance of the American side.”

In addition, the Associated Press reported Friday morning that the United States had silently seized the cargo of two tankers suspected of carrying Iranian oil. The ship’s deck has been repainted to cover illegal cargo.

The Middle East news website also wrote in a report after announcing the pause in the Vienna talks that the new demands made by the United States surprised and angered the Iranian negotiating team in these talks.

In an interview with Al-Mayadin, Mohammad Marandi, an analyst close to the Iranian negotiating team in Vienna, stated that the United States opposes the lifting of all sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran. He stated that the abduction of an Iranian tanker [توسط آمریکا] “There are problems between Moscow and Washington, but the main obstacle is US opposition to lifting all sanctions,” he said.

Noting that the West did not play a positive role in the talks, the senior political analyst said that these countries deliberately took the time to deceive Iran.

Russia’s representative to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, Mikhail Ulyanov, said after the announcement of a halt to talks on Friday that efforts would continue to resolve the remaining issues.

China’s chief negotiator also said he hoped the talks would resume in a few days, adding: “The text is basically available, but it needs final adjustments.” “We always believe that the concerns of all parties should be addressed,” he added.

Joe Biden’s government claims that it intends to pave the way for his country to return to the UN Security Council through the ongoing talks in Vienna, the Austrian capital, but has so far refused to take the necessary steps to return to the agreement. has done.

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