The nuclear agreement .. Washington stipulates the conclusion of a deal, and Tehran demands guarantees regarding the lifting of sanctions

The United States called on Iran to waive demands that it considered outside the 2015 nuclear agreement so that the agreement could be reciprocated, while Tehran demanded guarantees related to the lifting of sanctions imposed on it.

During a UN Security Council session on the nuclear deal on Thursday, a day after a round of direct negotiations between the United States and Iran ended in Doha, Washington expressed concern about Iran's recent steps, saying they undermine the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) monitoring of Iran's nuclear activities.

Richard Mills, the deputy US ambassador to the United Nations, said that a deal to return to the nuclear agreement can only be concluded if Iran waived demands that do not fall within the scope of the agreement.

Mills added that his country is committed to a mutual return to the agreement, and that the steps taken by Tehran make the mutual return to it more difficult.

Earlier, US officials indicated that the Iranian side had raised, in the recent talks, demands unrelated to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the nuclear agreement), including removing the Revolutionary Guards from the US list of terrorist organizations.

The US State Department had accused Tehran of not responding to the European initiative, which is to hold indirect negotiations between the US and Iranian sides in Doha, in an effort to revive the nuclear agreement.

Negotiations were held on Tuesday and Wednesday in a hotel in the Qatari capital, at the initiative of the European Union, in order to break the deadlock in the 11-month rounds of talks that stopped last March.

Guarantees to Iran

During the UN Security Council session, the Iranian representative to the United Nations, Majid Takht Ravanchi, called on Washington for what he described as objective and verifiable guarantees regarding the lifting of sanctions and not violating its obligations under the 2015 agreement again.

Once the other parties fulfill all their obligations in a complete, effective and verifiable manner, Rwangi said his country will immediately reverse all its steps.

He added that Tehran is showing maximum flexibility in order to reach an agreement acceptable to all, as he put it.

This comes as Iran announced that it is in contact with the European Union Coordinator, Enrique Mora, on the next stage of the nuclear talks.

In this context, both Russia and China accused the United States - during the Security Council session - of causing the current impasse that led to the talks aimed at reviving the nuclear agreement.

European Union Foreign Policy Commissioner Josep Borrell (left) with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in Tehran (Reuters)

agreement soon

For his part, European Union Foreign Policy Commissioner Josep Borrell said yesterday that the nuclear deal with Iran must be concluded as soon as possible.

Borrell added - in a tweet on Twitter - that after more than a year of negotiations, there is a risk not to cross what he described as the finish line, and called for the full implementation of the agreement.

The remaining points of contention between Iran and the United States, which are expected to be discussed during the upcoming talks with the aim of reviving the nuclear agreement, are embodied in counter terms and conditions, most notably Iran's demand to lift all sanctions imposed on it after Washington's withdrawal from the nuclear agreement in 2018, and the various sanctions imposed within the US policy of maximum pressure.

On the other hand, Washington says that Iran is demanding what is outside the agreement, and that it must respond to concerns that go beyond the nuclear agreement.

Iran also demands political, legal and commercial guarantees from the American and European sides so that withdrawal from the agreement is not repeated.

But Washington previously announced that it could not provide guarantees to Iran that the next US administration would not withdraw from the nuclear agreement.

Another Iranian demand is to remove the Revolutionary Guards from the US list of terrorist organizations.

But this requires broader negotiations that include other files as well, and this matter is rejected by Iran.

The files related to Iran's implementation of its commitments under the comprehensive safeguards agreement are important points of contention for the US side, while Tehran says that it is committed to the decisions and will retract steps to reduce its nuclear commitments if the nuclear agreement is activated and all parties return to it.

Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi (agencies)

Qatari-Iranian talks

Meanwhile, the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, yesterday had a telephone conversation with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi.

The Qatar News Agency reported that the two sides reviewed the bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to support them, in addition to discussing the most prominent developments on the regional and international arenas.

For its part, the Iranian news agency reported that the Iranian president stressed during the call that reaching a tight and permanent agreement requires lifting all sanctions and giving guarantees.

Raisi added that accusing his country during the negotiation stage is targeting the negotiation process.

In his call with the Emir of the State of Qatar, he also stressed that all efforts should be made to lift sanctions and provide the necessary guarantees.