Lifting of sanctions Iran’s “red line” in Vienna talks: Iranian foreign ministry

ERBIL, Kurdistan - Iran said on Monday that the lifting of US sanctions is its “red line” in upcoming nuclear talks with world powers in Vienna. In a press conference, a spokesperson of the Iranian foreign ministry added that the talks for the nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), are set to resume on Tuesday, with all delegations returning to Vienna. 

“The American officials should know that the cost of destructive and wrong decisions, including the illegal departure from the JCPOA should not be paid by Iranian people. They should gain the trust of the Iranian people and reverse their decision. We will wait to see this change of behavior in action in Vienna,” Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a press conference in Tehran on Monday. “Our expectation is that the delegations, including the US, return with clear instructions to act upon their commitments within the JCPOA and the lifting of sanctions. We hope that what we hear as positive remarks become commitment in action.” 

The confirmation of Tuesday’s talks by Khatibzadeh comes several hours after US envoy for Iran Robert Malley told reporters on Sunday that he would soon be returning to Vienna. Malley added that US President Joe Biden wants negotiations for the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal to continue. 

On Friday, the US State Department announced it was waiving sanctions on Iran’s civilian nuclear program. Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Sunday that the step was “good, but not enough”. 

Khatibzadeh added that the latest sanction waiver is “only a small part” of the measures Iran expects the US in order to return to the deal. 

Under former US President Donald Trump’s administration, the US withdrew from the nuclear accord in 2018 and introduced new sanctions in an effort to force Tehran to renegotiate a tougher deal. President Joe Biden has sought to return to the deal as Iran demands the lifting of all sanctions. In return, the US seeks to curb Iran’s nuclear program. 

Iran and the US have held eight rounds of indirect talks, aimed at reviving the nuclear deal, since April in Vienna. The last round of talks paused on January 28 to allow for consultations.