A spokeswoman for the European Union said today, Tuesday, that the bloc is evaluating Iran’s response to what it described as its “final” proposal to save the 2015 nuclear agreement, and that it is consulting with the United States in this regard, while an informed Iranian source said that Tehran expects the European response. In two days.
The spokeswoman refused to give a time frame for any reaction from the European Union, which is coordinating the negotiations in the Austrian capital Vienna, noting - in her speech to reporters in Brussels - that they are currently studying the Iranian response, "and consulting with other participants in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the nuclear agreement) and the states." the United Nations moving forward.
After 16 months of intermittent and indirect talks between the United States and Iran, during which the European Union shuttled the two sides, a senior EU official said on August 8 that the bloc had made a "final" offer and expected a response within "a very few weeks."
Al-Jazeera correspondent in Tehran quoted an Iranian official as saying that Tehran sent its response to the Europeans regarding their proposal to return to the nuclear agreement.
Iran responded to the proposal late on Monday, but neither it nor the European Union provided any details on the content of the response.
Iranian optimism
A senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera that its response to the European proposal is realistic and professional and includes important observations to secure its interests, as he put it, and stressed that Tehran is waiting for a response to its comments by the end of tomorrow, Wednesday, adding that what is required now is American flexibility in dealing with Iran's comments on the European proposal.
In his statements, the official considered that the indicators of reaching an agreement seemed relatively high, which he described as positive, noting that there were signs of American change during the last round of the Vienna negotiations, and he said that this should be immunized with actions, stressing that Tehran made it clear to the Americans that it wants an agreement that deals seriously. with their interests and take into account their concerns.
Iran nuclear talks resumed in Vienna after a break of 5 months (Anatolia)
And the adviser to the Iranian negotiating delegation, Muhammad Marandi, said - in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera - that Iran will raise concerns in its response about a number of issues that should be resolved, adding that these issues are solvable, and stressed that the parties are not far from a possible agreement.
For his part, Russia's permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, Mikhail Ulyanov, said that consensus on restoring the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear program may be reached this week or next week.
He added - in statements to Russian media - that the deal may be held this week, noting that the developments that occurred yesterday regarding Iran regarding the amendments to the final text, indicate the possibility of this actually happening, as he put it.
American condition
On the other hand, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said - in a press conference - that the only way for a joint return to the nuclear agreement with Iran is for it to abandon its demands outside the agreement, adding that those demands have no place in the nuclear talks.
Washington had said it was ready to conclude an agreement immediately to restore the one concluded in 2015, based on European Union proposals.
It is noteworthy that in 2018, former US President Donald Trump retracted the nuclear agreement that had been concluded before he took office, describing it as lenient with Iran, and re-imposed harsh US sanctions on it, which prompted it to start violating the restrictions imposed on uranium enrichment.