Iran’s red lines fully observed in Vienna talks, more than one issue still lingering

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman says none of Tehran’s red lines have been abandoned during the course of the Vienna talks on the revival of the 2015 deal, stressing that a weak agreement could have been made a few months ago if the Iranian negotiators were to abandon the country’s red lines.

“The red lines have continued to be observed until today. If we were to cross the red lines, we would have reached an agreement several months ago. We have not yet reached the point that indicates the American side is living up to its commitments,” Saeed Khatibzadeh said at a weekly press briefing in Tehran on Monday.

He underscored that what matters to Tehran is that the Iranian nation must enjoy the economic benefits of the removal of sanctions.

“We really do not know whether we would reach a deal or not, because the United States has not yet exhibited the necessary determination to reach an agreement,” Khatibzadeh said.

Asked if the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) will remain on the list of US sanctions at the conclusion of the talks, he said, “The maximum pressures must be wholly lifted. What still lingers is more than one issue.”

Negotiations have been held in the Austrian capital since April last year to restore the 2015 Iran deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was ditched by former US President Donald Trump in May 2018.

In quitting the agreement, Trump introduced what he called the “maximum pressure” campaign to bring Iran to its knees. Tehran maintains that the policy has failed dismally. The Joe Biden administration agrees, yet it has not taken any tangible steps to deliver on its promise of repealing the policy.

In recent months, Iran has cited Washington’s indecisiveness as the reason behind the protraction of the talks, as a number of key issues remain unresolved, ranging from the removal of all post-JCPOA sanctions to the provision of guarantees by the American side that it will not leave the deal again.

The other parties to the talks – Russia, China, France, the UK, and Germany – have also noted that the negotiators are close to finalising an agreement.