Qatar hosts talks between Iran nuclear negotiator, top EU diplomat

ByNews Desk- The Cradle 

The US has been leading a push to revive nuclear talks with Iran at a time the Islamic Republic is rebuilding ties with multiple Gulf nations

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani met with EU mediator Enrique Mora in Doha on 22 June to discuss lifting sanctions as part of a US push to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

Had a serious and constructive meeting with @enriquemora_ in Doha. We exchanged views and discussed a range of issues including negotiations on sanctions lifting. pic.twitter.com/YeEVlhfANQ

— علی باقری‌کنی (@Bagheri_Kani) June 21, 2023

“Intense talks yesterday and today with Vice Minister ⁦[Bagheri Kani]⁩ in Doha on a range of difficult bilateral, regional, and international issues, including the way forward on the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action],” Mora said about the meeting.

Intense talks yesterday and today with Vice Minister ⁦@Bagheri_Kani⁩ in Doha on a range of difficult bilateral, regional and international issues, including the way forward on the JCPOA. Good exchange on the Gulf (EU strategy, new ⁦@EUSR_Gulf⁩, Irán/KSA agreement) pic.twitter.com/vb5Tw9ff7n

— Enrique Mora (@enriquemora_) June 21, 2023

EU spokesperson Peter Stano said the bloc was “keeping diplomatic channels open, including through this meeting in Doha, to address all issues of concern with Iran.”

Last week, Bagheri Kani met his British, German, and French counterparts in the UAE to discuss “a range of issues and mutual concerns.”

The meeting took place on 12 June, according to Germany’s Foreign Ministry, and focused on Iran’s nuclear program.

His meeting with Mora coincided with a four-country Gulf tour conducted by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who, in the past three days, jetted between Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and the UAE.

Indirect talks between Iran and the US to revive the JCPOA stalled last year after Washington accused the Islamic Republic of making “unconstructive” demands.

Washington unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 and reimposed crushing sanctions on Iran. As a result, Tehran made significant advances with its nuclear energy program and has, over recent months, restored ties with multiple Gulf nations.

The changing tides have forced Washington to reassess its position despite Israeli objections and find ways to bring Iran back to the negotiating table.

To this end, Oman has been hosting “proximity talks” between US and Iranian officials that seek to “de-escalate tensions.”

Reports say the US also wants to set strict limits on Iran’s nuclear energy program in exchange for releasing billions of Iranian funds frozen in Iraq and South Korea.

The efforts to salvage the Obama-era deal got fresh impetus after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this month said there is “nothing wrong” with reaching a deal with the west if the country’s nuclear industry infrastructure remained untouched.

“You may want to reach agreements in some fields. Nothing is wrong with [reaching] agreements, but the infrastructure must remain intact. It must not be harmed. These are the fruit of others’ endeavors,” Khamenei said.

For his part, on 20 June, President Ebrahim Raisi stressed Iran is ready to cooperate with any country on the basis of mutual respect.

“We will cooperate with whatever country that could pursue having relations with us that are based on mutual respect. And if there are some exceptional countries such as the United States that seek adversary towards us, we will resort to resistance against them,” Raisi said.