What direction is the Vienna negotiation going?

Tehran, IRNA - The Western powers are pursuing a contradictory position, when it comes to the revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal because they claim that they are seeking to reach an agreement but at the same time they resort to harsh statements and imposition of new sanctions on Tehran. A new communiqué issued by the European trio (Britain, France, and Germany) against Iran's nuclear program along with fresh sanctions on Iranian Minister of Intelligence and his ministry by the United States indicate that the West is still following up its stick and carrot policy in dealing with Iran. The Europeans have recently alleged that the negotiation in Vienna, Austria, for the revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and the removal of anti-Iran sanctions is facing an uncertain future, ignoring their own negligence when it comes to abiding by their commitments under the nuclear deal. The Biden administration has imposed a new round of sanctions on Iran, while it claimed that they want to reach consensus with the Iranians to resolve differences over the nuclear dossier. However, the Islamic Republic succeeded in stand against the Western powers' excessive demands and their efforts to create a media hype to portray Iran as the source of any potential standstill in restoring the JCPOA. The Westerners even claimed that Iran stopped the negotiations to make use of cold winter and fuel crisis in Europe, but in fact the West raises such allegations in order to get rid of its own responsibilities. The EU trio and the US have recently resorted to unfounded accusations leveled by Albania in a bid to put more pressures on Iran. Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, claimed that Iran's latest response to the Europeans' suggestions is a stop "backwards." The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who has earlier said that Iran had given a "reasonable" response to the proposal, now warns that he is "less confident" about the success of a compromise because of divergence in positions. Impacts of third parties Such paradoxical developments and stances strengthen hesitation on the West's determination to reach any agreement with Iran. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani expressed regret on the Europeans' recent statement, emphasizing that the Islamic Republic has shown good faith to finalize negotiations, but the European side has been affected by propaganda campaign of certain third parties, who have been against the talks from the get-go. On the other side, Russian representative in the Vienna talks Mikhail Ivanovich Ulyanov warned that the Europeans' statement amid the crucial juncture of the Vienna talks and ahead of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors' meeting is "very untimely." Meanwhile, the Zionist regime's lobbyists play a key role in putting pressure on the American negotiators to retreat from any agreement. The Islamic Republic of Iran is well aware that the signing and implementing of a potential Vienna agreement will take more than six months to provide Tehran with the opportunity to come back to the international energy markets; so, the claims on Iran's playing with the card of energy to put pressure on Europe is completely baseless. Iranian nuclear negotiators have time and again stressed that the Islamic Republic will not accept excessive demands such as supervisions that are broader than its commitments under the JCPOA. Tehran has shown rational behavior during the talks for reviving of the JCPOA as well as lifting anti-Iran sanctions, but the Islamic Republic will not retreat from its legitimate requests under the pressures that have their roots in hallucinations proposed by the Zionist regime. Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish