Iran’s foreign minister tells his British counterpart that the country is prepared for conclusion of a final agreement in Vienna if all of its red lines are observed.
According to Press TV, the Austrian capital has been hosting eight rounds of talks aimed at a potential revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a 2015 deal between Iran and the 5+1 group. The United States left the deal in 2018 and returned the sanctions that it had lifted.
The Islamic Republic has defined some of the red lines as inclusion of its missile program and regional influence in a potential deal. Iran has also demanded that the US provide guarantees that it would not be able to leave the deal again and resume the coercive economic measures.
“We are closer to the point of arriving at a final agreement more than any other time,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Britain’s Liz Truss over the phone on Wednesday.
“However, what can turn conclusion of a good and stable agreement into a definite prospect is the United States’ realistic behavior and its refusal from tabling new and wrongful demands,” he said.
Truss, for her part, expressed hope that the Austrian city would eventually be able to host conclusion of such a final agreement.
She also expressed delight over the recent developments in the bilateral ties, and demanded expansion of the relations.
Earlier in the day, Iran has released two dual British-Iranian nationals jailed for involvement in espionage activities against the Islamic Republic, with the pair preparing to leave the country.
The British-Iranians Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anousheh Ashouri are heading to a Tehran airport to leave the country, their lawyer Hojjat Kermani confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, IRNA quoted informed sources that both individuals were released on humanitarian grounds on the eve of 15th of Shaban which marks the birth anniversary of Imam of the Age, Imam Mahdi (May God hasten his reappearance) as well as the occasion of Nowruz which marks the start of the New Iranian Year.
