President Ebrahim Raisi said on Thursday, a day after all parties announced the resumption of nuclear talks between Tehran and major powers on November 29, that Iran will not back down in any way in defending its interests.
Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, said that the talks would cover the removal of ‘unlawful and inhumane sanctions,’ while Washington hoped that the talks would demonstrate Iran’s willingness to negotiate in good faith on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal.
The talks, which began in April, have been put on hold since the election of hardline cleric Raisi, in June.
Raisi, who is personally sanctioned by the United States for allegations of human rights violations in his previous job as a judge, stated that Iran seeks the lifting of all US sanctions and neutralisation of sanctions, striking an uncompromising tone ahead of the Vienna talks.
The 2015 agreement between Iran and six of the world powers saw Tehran curtail its uranium enrichment programme, which could lead to nuclear weapons, in exchange for the lifting of US, United Nations and European Union sanctions.
However, former US President Donald Trump pulled out of the agreement in 2018 and reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran’s oil and financial sectors, crippling the country’s economy and prompting Tehran to violate the agreement’s limits on nuclear work.
Despite six rounds of indirect talks, Tehran and Washington continued to disagree on which steps should be taken and when, with key issues including what nuclear limits Tehran will accept and which sanctions Washington will lift.
Post Your Comments