Tehran 0
16 February 2022

Iran’s top negotiator in Vienna asserted that “after weeks of intensive talks, we are closer than ever to an agreement; nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, though. Our negotiating partners need to be realistic, avoid intransigence and heed lessons of [the] past four years. Time for their serious decisions”. Relatedly, Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian maintained that “as a matter of principle, public opinion in Iran cannot accept as a guarantee the words of a head of state, let alone the U.S., due to the withdrawal of Americans from the JCPOA… At least their parliaments or parliament speakers, including the U.S. Congress, can declare in the form of a political statement their commitment to the agreement”. He also indicated that “any direct dialogue, contact and negotiation with the U.S. would have very huge costs for my government. We are not ready to enter into the process of direct talks with the U.S. if we do not have a clear and promising outlook to reach a good agreement with sustainable guarantees in front of us”.

Subscribe to Crisis Group’s Email Updates

Receive the best source of conflict analysis right in your inbox.