Commentary: Vienna talks; challenges and expectations

Written by: Jamshid Aminzadeh

Commentary (IP) - The Austrian capital, Vienna, is hosting talks today (Monday, November 29) between Iran and the P4 + 1 to lift US sanctions.

Iran Press/ Commentary: Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Ali Bagheri-Kani, arrived in Vienna on Saturday at the head of a legal, banking, and energy experts delegation. Over the past two days, he has held bilateral and multilateral meetings with Russian and Chinese delegations, as well as Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service, Enrique Mora, who chairs the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Joint Commission meeting.

Tehran is serious about reaching a good agreement, but the contradictory behavior of the United States remains one of the grave challenges to the negotiating goals. Despite its desire to return to the JCPOA, the Biden administration seeks to escalate political pressure on Iran with threatening language.

However, in this round of negotiations, the Islamic Republic of Iran does not seek to waste time and gain minimum outcomes from maximum talks. Having experienced unstable US positions, Iran requires verification and assurances from the JCPOA member states who did not implement their obligations. Hence, achieving an acceptable result in the Vienna talks depends on many components.

Experience has shown that any pressure on Iran to force Iran to restore its obligations fully will not succeed in this agreement without guaranteeing Iran's interests. The complete, guaranteed, and verifiable elimination of US sanctions and the facilitation of the Iranian people's right to benefit from nuclear knowledge are among the goals of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Vienna talks.

From this point of view, in analyzing the process of the Vienna talks, two points seem significant:

First, the Islamic Republic of Iran is participating in the Vienna talks based on its legitimate rights within the JCPOA framework, and Iran demands the complete lifting of all sanctions with the possibility of verification.

Secondly, there is a difference of opinion between the parties in the negotiations. This difference can harm the favorable course of the negotiations and even lead to the failure of the talks.

It is unreasonable to expect Iran to fulfill its commitments unilaterally in the JCPOA without the other side fulfilling its obligations. Insisting on irrational demands in the Vienna talks will certainly not affect Iran's decision to defend its legal interests and rights.

It remains to be seen to what extent the Vienna talks can lead to viable political decisions to lift sanctions altogether.