Tehran’s white flag in Vienna

News: Iran’s new delegation joined the seventh round of talks in Vienna for the revival of a joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA).

What is the status of progress in talks?

Iran has shown an inclination that all the issues can be negotiated. Iran has maintained that negotiations should not be called nuclear negotiations, as the key objective is the lifting of sanctions. So, the Iranian delegation is composed of legal and banking officials.

What policies does Iran adopt?

During the suspension of JCPOA, Iran expanded its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium. This was to show that if the USA withdraws from the agreement again, Iran will likely expand its nuclear program.

Iran is linking its economy from JCPOA negotiations, is prioritizing economic diplomacy with Asia to ensure that any backtracking by the USA does not shock Iran economically.
Iran is continuing its intensive diplomatic outreach with Gulf neighbors, including, UAE.

Furthermore, Iran has delinked the JCPOA negotiations with its ballistic missile programmes, stating that they are different issues and will only be dealt with by regional partners.

What should be the way forward?

While Israel presses for a hardline approach against Iran, a well-negotiated deal, which includes Iran in the regional security architecture, will be most conducive for peace in the region.

Source: This post is based on the article “Tehran’s white flag in Vienna” published in the Indian Express on 6th December 2021.