New framework for nuclear talks must be pursued: MP

TEHRAN, (MNA) – Stating that a new framework for nuclear negotiations must be pursued, an Iranian lawmaker believes that with a new framework, Westerners would be forced to fully fulfill their obligations.

"As the President announced, the government seeks to establish a balanced foreign policy with the priority of relations with neighboring countries and Asia," said Chairman of the Iran Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Vahid Jalalzadeh in an interview with Mehr News Agency about the process of negotiations between Iran and the P4+1 in the new Iranian administration.

Of course, the Vienna talks are an important issue, and it must definitely come to an end, he added.

"The continuation of negotiations should be done in such a way that the complete lifting of sanctions and its verification are carefully pursued," MP Jalalzadeh highlighted. "We believed that the platform and framework followed in the Vienna talks and in the previous administration were flawed and that if we could come up with a new framework in the negotiations, we could certainly gain more benefit for the Iranian people."

Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee went on to say, "Accordingly, the first priority of our foreign policy in the new government is to clarify the subject of negotiations. We must also reassure our neighbors that the first priority of our foreign policy will be to increase and improve relations with friendly and neighboring countries."

In response to the question of whether the Iranian nuclear negotiating team will change, Jalazadeh noted, "We have tried different methods and I believe that it is important to determine the position of the negotiations before choosing the negotiating team. In other words, we have to see if the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will follow the negotiations or the Supreme National Security Council, and when this issue is determined, then the negotiating team will be appointed."

"Araghchi and our other negotiating team held six rounds of Vienna talks with other parties and, in their own words, achieved 90% of what we wanted, which we believe has not been a special achievement for the Islamic Republic of Iran," Jalazadeh said answering a question whether a new framework for negotiations is selected. 

"According to the JCPOA, we accepted some of the commitments and the other parties also accepted some of the obligations, but they did not fulfill theirs. Our first demand is that they must fulfill their JCPOA commitments," he added. "However, the United States is acting against the rule in this matter as well."

"The lifting of the arms embargo on the Islamic Republic of Iran was one example that should have been lifted last year under Resolution 2231, but the United States has flinched from fulfilling this commitment for illusory reasons, indicating that they can do the same on other issues and continue to impose sanctions," the MP noted.

"So the framework and platform of the previous negotiating team were flawed, and if there is a new platform, I believe we can force the Westerners to fully fulfill their obligations," Jalazadeh highlighted.

Iran has held six rounds of talks with JCPOA participants known as the P4+1 with the aim of salvaging the JCPOA in the Austrian capital of Vienna. Tehran has insisted that it would resume full compliance with the deal after the full removal of the sanctions that the previous US administration under Trump illegally imposed on Tehran after its unilateral and illegitimate withdrawal from the JCPOA in May 2018. 

It has already stressed that it would leave the Vienna talks if they take too long and if its legitimate demands as per the JCPOA are not met. Anyway, the other parties, especially the Europeans seem to be killing time while the new US administration is still sticking to the Trump-era sanctions.

The current US administration has not yet fulfilled the promises Joe Biden made during his presidential elections campaigns to undo Trump's actions and return to the deal. In the meantime, Tehran has also stressed that the Biden administration's return to the agreement without lifting the sanctions is not important at all.