Iran Answers US Response to Its Views on Draft of Renewed Nuclear Deal

Iran has given its answers to the US response to Iran’s views on the draft nuclear agreement submitted by the EU, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Friday. Tehran conveyed its answers to the EU coordinator on Thursday night, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said. “The submitted text has a constructive approach with the aim of finalizing the negotiations,” Kanaani was quoted as saying. The US and Iran have been exchanging views indirectly on the EU proposal to eliminate the outstanding issues that must be resolved before the sides can revive the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Iran and the major world powers, known as the P5+1 countries (China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US, plus Germany), signed the JCPOA in July 2015, agreeing on the lifting of severe sanctions against Iran in exchange for the application of key limitations on Iran’s nuclear program. The US, under former President Donald Trump, pulled out of the deal in 2018, citing Iran’s lack of compliance, and reimposed sanctions on the country. In response, Iran dropped many of its own commitments under the pact. With the election of US President Joe Biden, the US began to express interest in a revived deal, and talks aimed at reaching such a deal were opened in April 2021 in Vienna. The talks came to an impasse and were suspended in March 2022, only to be restarted five months later.