Iran will observe its red lines, continue diplomacy to reach final deal in Vienna talks: FM Amir-Abdollahian

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has once again reiterated the country’s firm determination to reach a final agreement with the P4+1 group of countries, emphasizing, however, that Tehran will, at the same time, continue to observe its red lines.

“In addition to political initiatives, the Islamic Republic of Iran has repeatedly shown in practice the will required to reach a good, strong and lasting agreement in the course of the sanctions removal negotiations” in Vienna, Amir-Abdollahian said in a phone call with Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney on Tuesday.

The top Iranian diplomat pointed to Coveney’s visit to Tehran in February and hailed his “constructive” efforts to help pave the way for a final deal between Iran and the five remaining parties to the 2015 deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“Now, it is the American side that must move to correct [former US president Donald] Trump’s unlawful behavior through a realistic approach and to take steps in the direction of political initiatives,” Amir-Abdollahian said.

Several rounds of negotiations have been held in the Austrian capital since April 2021 to bring the US back into the Iran deal. The US diplomats are not allowed to join the talks directly due to their country’s withdrawal on May 8, 2018.

Recent weeks have brought the talks to a new impasse, as the US insists on its refusal to remove Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) from its foreign terrorist organization list.

Iran maintains that the IRGC’s designation in 2019 was part of the former Trump administration’s so-called maximum pressure campaign against Iran, and therefore, it has to be reversed unconditionally.

The Joe Biden administration disagrees, even though it has admitted on countless occasions that Trump’s maximum pressure policy has been a disastrous failure. It has retained the IRGC’s designation as leverage in the talks.

Iran FM: Vienna talks not paused; US has understood Tehran's red lines

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says negotiations in Vienna on the revival of the 2015 Iran deal have not been paused.

In an interview with Arabic-language al-Masirah television network on Tuesday, Amir-Abdollahian said negotiations on the JCPOA revival have not been paused, saying Tehran and Washington are in indirect correspondence to reach an agreement on removing the anti-Iran sanctions.

Diplomatic solutions promote lasting security: Amir-Abdollahian

Elsewhere in the phone call, Amir-Abdollahian also pointed to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and said he has so far conveyed the messages of the Ukrainian foreign minister to his Russian counterpart two times.

“We oppose war and displacement of humans in Ukraine, Yemen, Palestine, Afghanistan and other parts of the world and believe that political solutions must be found to achieve lasting peace and security,” the Iranian foreign minister added.

'Ireland will spare no effort to help Iran, P4+1 reach deal'

The Irish foreign minister, for his part, said his country would spare no efforts to reduce international tensions and help Iran and the P4+1 group of countries reach a final agreement.

Coveney commended Iran’s political initiatives in the course of the Vienna talks and stressed the importance of reaching a good agreement that meets the demands of Tehran and all the negotiating parties.

He also expressed concern over increasing international tensions caused by the ongoing war in Ukraine.

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The Iranian and Irish foreign ministers also discussed ways to promote bilateral relations and consultations.

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