"Exact Resumption Schedule to Be Announced Next Week"
Appears to Change Stance Following US Indication of Military Option Review
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Iran announced that it has agreed to resume negotiations to restore the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) within next month, raising expectations that the stalled talks since June will soon restart. Until now, Iran had maintained a tough stance, demanding that the U.S. lift economic sanctions such as asset freezes first, but it appears that the U.S. government's recent pressure, including hints at military options, has led to a change in Iran's approach toward resuming negotiations.
On the 27th (local time), Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister and chief negotiator for the Iran nuclear deal, announced via his Twitter account after talks with Enrico Mora, Deputy Secretary-General of the European Union (EU) External Action Service, and other EU officials in Brussels, Belgium, that "we have agreed to resume negotiations to restore the nuclear deal within November."
Deputy Minister Kani added, "We had very serious and constructive discussions with the EU side," emphasizing, "The exact date for resuming negotiations will be announced next week." Accordingly, expectations are growing that the Iran nuclear deal restoration talks, which had no scheduled restart date following Iran's unilateral suspension request in June, will soon resume.
Until now, the Iranian government had refused dialogue, stating that it would not resume negotiations unless the U.S. first lifted sanctions such as asset freezes. However, it is reported that the U.S. government's recent tough stance, including repeated hints at military options, has led Iran to revise its strategy toward resuming talks.
According to CNN, on the 13th, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, said at a press conference, "Time is running out for Iran to comply with the nuclear deal," and added, "The U.S. will consider all options to address the challenges posed by Iran," hinting at the possibility of military options. The U.S. State Department also issued a statement shortly after Deputy Minister Kani's indication of resuming nuclear deal talks, saying, "The window for dialogue is not open forever," and urged for a swift and sincere negotiation process.
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