TEHRAN – Iran’s top negotiator said Wednesday the upcoming talks in Vienna will not be about the nuclear issue which is already resolved, but will rather focus on the U.S. withdrawal from the deal and its illegal sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Ali Baqeri-Kani, Iranian deputy foreign minister for political affairs, made the remarks in an interview with Iran’s Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) News Agency, one day after France said the talks with Iran must resume where they left off.
In a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Hussein Amir-Abdollahian, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said it was urgent to resume “the negotiations interrupted on June 20 by Iran, on the basis negotiated up to that date, with the objective of a rapid return” to the accord.
Baqeri-Kani stressed, “We do not have nuclear talks, because the nuclear issue was resolved in 2015 in the form of an agreement reached between Iran and the P5+1,” namely the U.S., France, Britain, Germany, Russia and China.
“The main issue we are facing now is the consequences of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, which are limited to the illegal sanctions imposed against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he added.
Amir-Abdollahian said Tuesday Iran’s defense program is a sovereign right, adding Tehran will continue to promote its defense capabilities irrespective of U.S. sanctions.
Amir-Abdollahian and Le Drian talked about various issues, including Tehran-Paris relations and the Vienna talks on removing sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Iran, he said, will powerfully continue to boost its defense power irrespective of the unconstructive behavior of the U.S., which has imposed sanctions on Tehran.
The minister said the fresh U.S. sanctions are a proof that Iran rightfully distrusts the U.S. and that Washington’s return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) must come with guarantees and the verifiable removal of the sanctions.
While the U.S. is responsible for the current circumstances surrounding the JCPOA, the three European parties to the deal –France, the UK, and Germany- are also culpable for their silence on excessive U.S. demands, the top Iranian diplomat said.
“Iran is after reaching a good deal, but such a thing has requirements, including the return of the other parties to their full commitments and the effective termination of the sanctions,” Amir-Abdollahian said.
The foreign minister also said the International Atomic Energy Agency must avoid politicizing the issue.
Iran has adopted a pragmatic and

results-oriented approach, he said, expressing hope that consultations between Tehran and Paris would result in a practical advancement of mutual cooperation.
Iran and France have great capacities, Amir-Abdollahian said, voicing Tehran’s readiness to expand relations with Paris on the basis of mutual respect and common interests.
For his part, Le Drian said France supports the return of all parties to the JCPOA and will do its utmost to that end.
Envoys from Iran and the P4+1 group of countries — Britain, France, Russia, and China plus Germany — are expected to hold the seventh round of discussions in the Austrian capital on November 29.