ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran on Monday reiterated that its demands are not completely met in the European Union proposal to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, saying that more should be provided for a complete return to the deal.
"Relative progress has been made, but the progress has not fully satisfied Iran's legal demand, and we have other expectations from the other side and we believe that all interests should be met," foreign ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said in his weekly press briefing, adding that additional discussions are underway in Tehran to submit additional statements to the EU proposal.
Kanaani confirmed that while an agreement is close, it will only be reached given all sides respect Iran's "red lines" and account for its interests.
A "final text" from the nuclear deal was put forward by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell last week to salvage the accord, and negotiators are expected to respond to the text as their delegations receive consultations at home before returning to Vienna.
Kanaani noted that "high-level discussions" on the draft text "have been held & are ongoing" in Iran, while Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Monday told reporters that Tehran would send its final proposal “in writing” by midnight.
The minister also said that the US has “verbally agreed” to Iran’s two issues without providing further details.
The nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed between Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia, and the United States in 2015, offering Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program to ensure it does not enrich enough uranium to develop a nuclear weapon.
However, Iran has repeatedly denied any allegations that it seeks to produce nukes.
Washington on Thursday urged Tehran to drop additional demands beyond the scope of the nuclear deal in order for an agreement to be struck. The additional demands include the US removing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from its terror blacklist.
Under former US president Donald Trump, the US unilaterally withdrew from the accord in 2018 and imposed crippling sanctions on the Islamic republic, with successor Joe Biden keen to roll back on his former's commitments.
Iran and the US have previously engaged in indirect EU-mediated talks in Doha aimed at bridging the cap closer to reviving the accord, but the talks displayed no fruition.
