Iran says US should 'take first step' in revival of nuclear deal

Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani has said Washington should take the first step in revival of the 2015 nuclear deal

Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani has said that Washington should take the first step in revival of the 2015 nuclear deal since it was the one which left the deal, official news agency IRNA reported.

The Islamic Republic of Iran will not back down from its demands for the lifting of sanctions in the process of restoration of the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Bagheri Kani said, according to the report.

He stressed that the proposals made by Iran to the P4 + 1 group, comprising the UK, China, France, Russia plus Germany, in the recent Vienna negotiations are "documented and logical," and therefore can be a basis for negotiations, Xinhua news agency reported.

Iran believes in the negotiations and is "optimistic" about the possible outcome, he said, adding that however, "unconstructive behavior by some signatories in the past and repeated breaches of their commitments" make Iranians to be more careful in their moves.

After six months of hiatus in the talks, Iran and the remaining parties to the deal, with the indirect involvement of the United States, resumed their discussions to restore the deal on Nov. 29.

On Friday, diplomats from the European side of negotiations returned to their capitals for consultations on two proposals put forward by Iran, which reportedly insist on the priority of removal of all sanctions, which were imposed against Tehran by the former administration in the White House after it withdrew from the deal in 2018.

--IANS

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