Talks on Technical Issues in Vienna Over: Iran’s Nuclear Chief

In an interview with ICANA on Wednesday, Mohammad Eslami pointed to the Vienna negotiations between Iran and the P4+1 about saving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and lifting the sanctions on Tehran.

“The technical subjects and discussions in the Vienna talks have been concluded. The technical talks have been held and only the political subjects are outstanding, which relate to the Foreign Ministry,” the AEOI chief noted.

He said Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have managed to regulate their interaction in accordance with the Safeguards Agreement rules.

On the previous reports from the IAEA about Iran’s nuclear activities, Eslami said some of them were based on the accusations raised by the Zionist regime and anti-Iranian groups which have always sought to create chaos. “However, we’re pursuing our routine relations with the IAEA,” he added.

The official also noted that the Iranian nuclear sites and centers that were damaged in recent years have been repaired and their activities, in the qualitative and quantitative terms, are currently in progress in compliance with the Iranian Parliament’s ‘Strategic Action’ on lifting the sanctions and safeguarding national interests.

He further said that Iran’s heavy water reactor in Arak is also active.

In comments in March, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian underlined that the West's haste to reach an agreement through the Vienna talks will not make Tehran ignore its red lines.

The Vienna discussions between Iran and the other parties to the Iran deal began in April on the assumption that the US, under the administration of Joe Biden, would be willing to rejoin the JCPOA.

Former US president Donald Trump abandoned the JCPOA in May 2018 in pursuit of illegal "maximum pressure" sanctions against Iran.