U.S. Says Maximum Pressure ‘Inappropriate’
Iran, Allies Reiterate Call for Removal of Sanctions
VIENNA (Dispatches) -- China has reiterated its call for the removal of all sanctions imposed on Iran and third parties amid ongoing negotiations in Vienna.
Wang Qun, China’s envoy to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna, told reporters the talks have entered a new stage.
His remarks came after a meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Joint Commission, chaired by deputy secretary general and political director of the European External Action Service Enrique Mora and attended by diplomats from Iran, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany.
Wang said China welcomes the Joint Commission’s intensive talks through the two expert-level working groups tasked with removing the U.S. sanctions.
He said the discussions had led to a clearer understanding and laid a solid foundation for the next stage of the talks.
Following the conclusion of the meetings, Mora took note of the results made over the last two weeks, saying in a tweet that much more hard work was still needed.
Mora said in a statement that the Joint Commission decided to create a third expert working group to examine "the possible sequencing of respective measures.”
An informed source told Press TV that Iran does not accept the sequential lifting of the sanctions, adding they must be removed altogether.
The source said the Islamic Republic would by no means settle for a suspension, easing or waiving the sanctions.
The informed source told Press TV that a one-week verification of lifting anti-Iran bans is not possible either, it usually takes between three to six months to verify the removal of the sanctions.
Iran’s top negotiator Abbas Araqchi warned that Tehran would stop the negotiations if the other side opted for "excessive demands, wasting time and irrational bargaining.”
U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said at a press briefing later on Tuesday the "maximum pressure” campaign followed by former president Donald Trump "has proved to be an inappropriate course given what we have seen from the real-life experiment over the past several years”.
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov also said the so-called maximum pressure policy has "totally failed” since it only prompted Iran to accelerate the development of its nuclear program.
President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday a resurrection of the nuclear pact must include three steps, the first of which is the removal of the sanctions by the United States.
"The second step is verification by Iran, and we can announce the verification in a short span of time,” he said.
The third step, the president continued, would be Iran’s complete resumption of its nuclear obligations which "we would execute thoroughly”.
Rouhani said the three steps should be followed by confidence-building measures, asserting that Tehran would comply with the deal as long as it felt that all signatories to the deal were sincere, serious and determined to resolve the issue.
Wang Qun, China’s envoy to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna, told reporters the talks have entered a new stage.
His remarks came after a meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Joint Commission, chaired by deputy secretary general and political director of the European External Action Service Enrique Mora and attended by diplomats from Iran, China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany.
Wang said China welcomes the Joint Commission’s intensive talks through the two expert-level working groups tasked with removing the U.S. sanctions.
He said the discussions had led to a clearer understanding and laid a solid foundation for the next stage of the talks.
Following the conclusion of the meetings, Mora took note of the results made over the last two weeks, saying in a tweet that much more hard work was still needed.
Mora said in a statement that the Joint Commission decided to create a third expert working group to examine "the possible sequencing of respective measures.”
An informed source told Press TV that Iran does not accept the sequential lifting of the sanctions, adding they must be removed altogether.
The source said the Islamic Republic would by no means settle for a suspension, easing or waiving the sanctions.
The informed source told Press TV that a one-week verification of lifting anti-Iran bans is not possible either, it usually takes between three to six months to verify the removal of the sanctions.
Iran’s top negotiator Abbas Araqchi warned that Tehran would stop the negotiations if the other side opted for "excessive demands, wasting time and irrational bargaining.”
U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said at a press briefing later on Tuesday the "maximum pressure” campaign followed by former president Donald Trump "has proved to be an inappropriate course given what we have seen from the real-life experiment over the past several years”.
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov also said the so-called maximum pressure policy has "totally failed” since it only prompted Iran to accelerate the development of its nuclear program.
President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday a resurrection of the nuclear pact must include three steps, the first of which is the removal of the sanctions by the United States.
"The second step is verification by Iran, and we can announce the verification in a short span of time,” he said.
The third step, the president continued, would be Iran’s complete resumption of its nuclear obligations which "we would execute thoroughly”.
Rouhani said the three steps should be followed by confidence-building measures, asserting that Tehran would comply with the deal as long as it felt that all signatories to the deal were sincere, serious and determined to resolve the issue.