Arab Paper Says EU's Borrell Will Visit Iran Soon For Nuclear Talks
European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will “most likely” visit Iran next week to discuss the stalled nuclear talks, an Arab newspaper said Thursday.
European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will “most likely” visit Iran next week to discuss the stalled nuclear talks, an Arab newspaper said Thursday.
Al-Arabiya Al-Jadeed, a London-based publication owned by a Qatari company, quoting “well-informed Iranian sources” tweeted late Thursday that Borrell plans to discuss the revival of Iran nuclear talks stalled since March during his reported trip to Tehran.
Iranian government media and officials have not yet reacted to the report. Some Iranian news websites simply carried the Al-Arabiya Al-Jadeed’s report.
Diplomats were claiming that a draft agreement to return to the 2015 nuclear agreement was almost ready when talks broke up in March on Iranian demands that the US lift terrorism related sanctions imposed on its Revolutionary Guard. The United States has called the demand “extraneous” to the nuclear issue.
Meanwhile, Enrique Mora, Borrell’s deputy, tweeted a photo Thursday of having dinner in Brussels with US Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley and Borrell.
Mora said in the tweet that the three had “in-depth conversation about JCPOA & regional perspectives in wider Mideast. Malley reiterated firm US commitment to come back to the deal.”
According to Khabar Online, this is a U-turn by Biden who has so far not been attaching importance to Washington's old allies in the region. It appears that both sides have deemed the current situation good for mending their relations.
Mohebali said in his interview with Khabar Online that the developments in Ukraine as well as the suspension of Iran's nuclear negotiations have played their parts in bringing back Washington to its old policy of close ties with Saudi Arabia. The result, said Mohebali, will be a coalition between the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia and other regional players.
During Biden's upcoming visit to the region, Israeli's will have a chance to convince Washington that returning to the JCPOA is meaningless and the US should exert more pressures on Iran, Mohebali said, while the United States could be able to convince Israel to refrain from provocative actions against Tehran.
As these concerns were being aired in Tehran, Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz told the Knesset on Monday that a regional air defense coalition is being formed with US leadership. The effort, he said, has already stopped some Iranian attacks.
This comes while the prospects for reviving the 2015 nuclear deal is becoming increasingly weaker, while Iran desperately needs to revive the JCPOA and have US sanctions lifted in a bid to improve its ailing economy.
A former member of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Hshmatollah Falahatpisheh, told Nameh News in an interview on June 20, that Iran will certainly be the big loser if no nuclear deal is reached.
Meanwhile, referring to Iran's defiant reactions to the June 8 IAEA resolution that condemned Tehran's lack of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Falahatpisheh warned that "it is not the right time for Iran to stand against the IAEA. This will make Tehran's situation even worse."
Pointing out Tehran's weak position, Falahatpisheh said: "Once we could determine our own fate at the negotiating table, but now we have to wait and see what decisions are being made by lobbyists behind the scenes at the IAEA Board of Governors.
Explaining why Iran will be the loser if the negotiations are not fruitful, Falahatpisheh said: "All the agreements Iran signs with other countries, including long-term 20-year contracts, are being concluded under sanctions, so these cannot serve Iran's interests." He added that Iran missed all the chances for a rapprochement with the United States before the war in Ukraine. Now, all countries including Russia only think of their own interests."
He criticized Iranian officials' inaction in the current situation by saying, "It is as if they do not have a good understanding of the situation and do not see the weakening of Iran's currency on a daily basis. While prices are rising, the government increases taxes and redoubles the pressure on the people."
While Falahatpisheh stressed that the government should do away with slogans and take important political decisions to solve the country's problems. Meanwhile, lawmaker Somayeh Rafiei said in an interview with Rouydad24 on Monday: "The people can hardly tolerate the situation any longer…and they
are looking for results and the government needs to introduce essential changes."
