Iran’s top security official accused the U.S. of delaying political decisions needed to revive a key nuclear deal, highlighting the tensions that continue to bedevil talks despite claims by all sides that an agreement is near.
Without giving details, Ali Shamkhani said the Islamic Republic is looking for “new initiatives” from all parties to quickly reach an agreement over how to restore the beleaguered 2015 accord that had capped Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
An appointee of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Shamkhani is secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which has a key role in foreign and nuclear policy.
Negotiations in Vienna are in their final stages after almost a year of diplomacy, with any deal expected to ease restrictions on Iran’s oil exports within a few months as the war in Ukraine sends crude prices to near all-time highs.
Envoys say some issues remain unresolved, however, including over the removal of sanctions. Earlier on Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said the differences were “fewer than the fingers on one hand,” without elaborating.
New difficulties were also introduced over the weekend, though. Hours after one major roadblock was ironed out on Saturday when Iran struck a deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency over past atomic investigations, its major ally Russia injected fresh confusion.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov demanded a guarantee from the U.S. that sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine wouldn’t harm trade and cooperation with Iran after the nuclear deal is restored.
On Monday, in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian, Lavrov appeared to tone down his remarks, saying that a revived accord must “ensure all its participants have equal rights.”
Amirabdollahian had earlier said Tehran “won’t allow any foreign actor to affect” its interests in the Vienna negotiations.
The 2015 nuclear deal unraveled after then-U.S. President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions almost four years ago. Iran responded by escalating its uranium enrichment way beyond limits set by the accord.
