JCPOA revival hinges ‘entirely’ on US readiness, political will: Russian diplomat

Russia’s permanent representative to the international organizations in Vienna says the fate of the Vienna talks on reviving the Iran nuclear deal depends entirely on Washington’s seriousness.

Speaking with Russia’s Izvestia newspaper on Friday, Mikhail Ulyanov noted that the ball on the fate of the deal, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is in the US’ court.

“The completion of the negotiations at this stage, whether successful or unsuccessful, depends almost entirely on the United States and on their readiness to negotiate and seek an acceptable compromise,” he said.

According to the diplomat, Washington “suspended” the negotiation process due to the upcoming US congressional elections on November 8, 2022.

The last round of talks did not end “negatively,” he said, expressing optimism that the negotiations would be completed after the US election in late November.

The Russian diplomat also believes that an agreement between the parties can be reached “in a very short time” as just a few issues have remained and they just need a “political will.”

Earlier this week, US special envoy for Iran Robert Malley said the negotiations are “not even on the agenda,” in a gesture aimed at blaming Iran for the stalled diplomatic process.

Malley claimed that the standstill in the talks came because Iran’s position is “inconsistent with a return to the deal” and that Iran makes “demands that have nothing to do with the JCPOA.”

Asked about the prospects of the talks, Malley said, “It’s not the focus because there’s no movement… We will see whether this is a government that is interested in reaching that deal. But at this point, the focus is on what’s happening around because the talks are stalled.”

Last week, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani reaffirmed the Islamic Republic’s commitment to the talks.

SS