The seventh round of talks on reviving the nuclear agreement with Iran kicked off in Vienna on Monday, amid Iranian insistence on lifting US sanctions, and Israel's demand for major powers "not to give in to Iran's nuclear blackmail."
According to Reuters, Iran has sent a forty-member delegation that includes mostly economic officials.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh revealed that there will be no bilateral talks with the US delegation.
He added in a press conference in the capital, Tehran, that Iran is firmly determined to reach an agreement with the international community on its nuclear program.
Zadeh stressed that Washington could obtain a "return card" to the nuclear agreement if the sanctions were lifted completely.
The spokesman considered that the two parties should take advantage of the available opportunity and evaluate it well, because it will not be available forever, as he put it.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry said that a tripartite meeting brought together the Iranian negotiating delegation headed by Ali Bagheri, the Iranian assistant foreign minister, with the Russian and Chinese delegations. He also met with Enrique Mora, the assistant foreign policy coordinator in the European Union, prior to the start of the seventh round of negotiations.
In turn, Iran's chief negotiator Ali Bagheri expressed his hope that the seventh round of Vienna talks would play an effective role in lifting sanctions on his country.
For his part, Enrique Mora said he met negotiators from China, Russia and Iran on Sunday, and will meet with the European and US teams today before talks later in the day.
"Preparatory work is going on intensively," Mora added on Twitter.
Israel's position
On the other hand, the Israeli Prime Minister said in a video tape addressed to the international community, that Iran is participating in the Vienna talks with a clear goal of removing sanctions in exchange for nothing, considering that it will not be satisfied with maintaining its nuclear program, but will get money to finance it.
"I call on our allies around the world not to succumb to Iranian nuclear blackmail," Bennett said, addressing the major powers.
Don't give in to nuclear blackmail.
pic.twitter.com/Pr0BO6dGDM
— Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) November 29, 2021
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said that Israel is very concerned about the possibility of lifting sanctions on Iran, and allowing the return of funds to flow in exchange for insufficient restrictions on its nuclear program.
Bennett added that Israel has sent messages in this regard to the United States and other countries negotiating with Iran.
In a joint article published by the Telegraph newspaper yesterday, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and her Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, said Britain and Israel would "work day and night" to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.
In a tweet today, the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned this article, saying that it reveals Britain's lack of goodwill towards reviving the nuclear agreement.
UK issues anti-Iran statement w Israeli regime- a nuke-holder & enemy of '15 agreement.
Utter lack of good will & evident sign that London doesn't seek to preserve the deal.
You can't have lunch w foe of a deal & for dinner sit at another table to claim support for the same deal.
— Iran Foreign Ministry 🇮🇷 (@IRIMFA_EN) November 29, 2021