Iran FM talks nuclear deal as hard-liners defend bomb deterrence
Iran’s top diplomat spoke with the EU foreign policy chief on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, but the meeting was strained against the backdrop of deadly unrest at home and hard-liners' push for nuclear weapons.
TEHRAN — Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian sat down with the European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell in Jordan Tuesday to discuss the future of stalled talks over the revival of the Iran nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The government-affiliated IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday that “the more than two-hour meeting” was held on the sidelines of the second Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership. Regional and international leaders have convened in the Jordanian coastal town of Sweimeh to discuss Iraq.
IRNA quoted the Iranian minister as saying that Tehran is "ready to conclude" the revival of the JCPOA. The report did not cover Borrell’s stance, who later tweeted that he had urged Iranian authorities to put an end to their military support for Russia’s war on Ukraine as well as the ongoing “repression” of protesters at home. As the two sides appeared to have made no breakthrough, Borrell said he had stressed the need for communication for the nuclear deal's revival at a time of “deteriorating Iran-EU relations."
The pair last met in June, when Borrell visited Tehran and left with high optimism about diplomatic efforts at the time. The talks, however, remained deadlocked, with the United States accusing Tehran of returning to the table every time with new demands that went beyond the original JCPOA. Iran has denied the charge, hitting back at the United States for “lacking seriousness.”
