Shabtabnews In this dark night, I have lost my way – Arise from a corner, oh you the star of guidance.
RFL/RE – A top Iranian security official has indicated that verification and guarantees would be among the things needed to reach an agreement to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal.
“Verification and providing a guarantee is an integral part of a good deal,” the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, said on Twitter.
Iran has previously said that it needs a verification process for the process of lifting Western sanctions and guarantees that the United States will not again leave the agreement and that it honors its commitments.
The original deal lifted sanctions against Tehran in exchange for significant restrictions on its nuclear activities. The sanctions were reimposed after then-U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018.
Iran continues to insist on the lifting of sanctions as the first condition for reviving the deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Talks have been taking place in Vienna to revive the JCPOA. Direct talks with Iran involve negotiators from Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia. The United States is taking part indirectly.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on February 14 that an agreement to restore the 2015 nuclear deal was “at hand” and told a news conference in Tehran that Iran was “serious and ready to reach a good agreement.”
British Foreign Minister Liz Truss spoke with Amir-Abdollahian on February 14, telling him it was time for final decisions, a Foreign Office statement on February 15 said.
Truss also reiterated her determination to secure the release of British nationals detained in Iran. The Foreign Office said the government was committed to paying a historical debt owed to Iran and was exploring payment options as a matter of urgency.
The talks have been taking place amid growing Western fears about Tehran’s accelerating nuclear advances. Western powers see the advances as irreversible unless a deal is struck soon.
Saudi Arabia’s SPA state news agency reported on February 15 that the government had expressed its support for “U.S. efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.”
