Senior Negotiator: Final Deal with Powers Should Include Removal of All Sanctions

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister and senior negotiator Seyed Abbas Araqchi described the removal of all sanctions against Tehran as a precondition for a comprehensive deal with the world powers, and said Iran will not retreat even an iota from its nuclear rights.
“Iran’s negotiations with the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) is progressing on a hard path with ups and downs and there is no bright perspective envisaged for its ending by the deadlines,” Araqchi said on Saturday.

Stressing Iran’s full preparedness to take more actions for increased transparency in its nuclear program, he, meantime, said, “We will not retreat even one step from the country’s nuclear rights; no machine or equipment will be dismantled, the country’s R&D will not be impaired and the most important of all, the industrial enrichment will be materialized powerfully and within the framework of the country’s needs.”

Araqchi underscored the necessity for the removal of all embargos against Iran, and said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran will not accept the remaining of even one sanction in the comprehensive nuclear agreement.”

Also on Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani underlined that the country would continue talks with the world powers to restore its right of using the peaceful nuclear technology and remove the sanctions.

Addressing a gathering of local people in the Northwestern city of Zanjan, President Rouhani said that Iranian nuclear negotiating team has the support of both the Supreme Leader and the nation, underlining that Iran is resolved to continue its constructive interaction with the Sextet of world powers to narrow down differences over its civilian nuclear program to remove all sanctions for ever.

He said Iranians should be confident that the country’s officials, particularly nuclear negotiators, would never compromise national interests under any conditions.

Iran and the six major world powers ended their 8th round of nuclear negotiations in Vienna earlier this month.

The 7th round of talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 was held in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting last month.

The two sides held six rounds of negotiations in Vienna to reach a comprehensive deal after they inked an interim agreement in Geneva on November 24.

The Geneva agreement took effect on January 20 and expired six months later on July 20. In July, Tehran and the six countries agreed to extend negotiations until November 24 after they failed to reach an agreement on a number of key issues.

Last Sunday, Araqchi voiced satisfaction in the progressive trend of talks with the six major world powers, and said a final deal before the November 24 deadline was not out of reach.

Araqchi expressed satisfaction in the “considerable” progress made in the process of the talks, and said, “We hope that we can achieve an agreement by the specified deadline, namely November 24.”

“Neither of the negotiating parties is interested in extending (the deadline of) the talks. All sides are determined to achieve an agreement prior to the deadline. Therefore, extension is not on the agenda of any of the parties,” Araqchi underlined.