With the Policy of Minimum Flexibility and Maximum Demands of the Islamic Republic, the Failure of the Vienna Talks will be Catastrophic!

With the Policy of Minimum Flexibility and Maximum Demands of the Islamic Republic, the Failure of the Vienna Talks will be Catastrophic!

The seventh round of talks in Vienna ended without a result and the next round of talks is scheduled to resume this week. The new team of the Islamic Republic has presented two proposed packages to the 4+1 countries (China, France, Russia, and the Britain + Germany), and a third package of proposals, the content of which is not yet clear, is on its way. The three European governments, Germany, the Britain, and France, immediately declared the draft proposals proposed by the Islamic Republic in the two areas of lifting sanctions and nuclear issues "a source of frustration and concern." A spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry said that in the two packages, the new team of the Islamic Republic "violated almost all the compromises that had already been reached during the months of difficult negotiations." The US government accused the Islamic Republic of wasting time. The Islamic Republic is said to have entered negotiations this time with maximum demands for the lifting of sanctions and minimum flexibility on nuclear issues, and by the "modification" in the "malfunctions and mistakes" of the Rouhani government's agreements, it has practically retreated from the previous six rounds of negotiations. The Islamic Republic's proposals have surprised not only the United States and its European allies, but also China and Russia.

The Islamic Republic, with these two proposed packages and the policy it has pursued, is practically denying the agreement in Vienna and by offering these two packages, it wants to lift all sanctions, but is not willing to back down from its nuclear development program, including raising the uranium enrichment level to 60 percent. It is clear that the JCPOA's opponents, who are now occupying the foreign ministry and sitting in the negotiating team, want to buy time. But the 4+1 countries and the United States' answers are equally clear. They are not willing to waste any more time and create opportunities for the plans of the Islamic Republic.

Emphasizing the demands for the immediate lifting of all sanctions after Trump's withdrawal from the JCPOA and the US government's assurance that it will no longer withdraw from the JCPOA on the one hand, and the continued violation of JCPOA commitments on the other, could close the current loophole to break the negotiations deadlock. Demanding assurance from the United States or the complete lifting of sanctions through mediation and at the same time refusing to negotiate with the US government and by questioning the results of several months of indirect negotiations, is itself an obstacle to reaching an agreement through the continuation of ongoing negotiations in Vienna.

It would not be possible to open up to nuclear talks and reach an agreement without direct negotiations with the US government as the main party, without withdrawing from the nuclear program, including 20 and 60 percent uranium enrichment, abandoning maximum demands, and accepting the results of previous talks. It will be difficult to agree on sanctions by continuing hostility to the United States and refusing to normalize relations with the US government. As long as the enemy-oriented policy of the Islamic Republic continues, even if an agreement is reached on JCPOA, there will be no guarantee of its stability. Without changing the current foreign policy of the Islamic Republic and paving the way for the normalization of relations with other countries, including the United States and friendly relations with neighbors, there is no end to the current isolation of the country and the danger of sanctions and threats will always remain. Economic pressure on the Iranian people will continue. Even the announcement of the cessation of negotiations for consultations immediately reflects on the critical situation of the Iranian economy and the increase in the price of foreign currencies. The continuation of these instabilities has a direct effect on increasing the price of the people’s general necessities.

The Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian) considers returning to the negotiating table and resolving issues through diplomacy as the best option to get out of the current crisis and avoid conflict and the danger of a new war in the region. If the Islamic Republic insists on maximum demands, the Vienna talks stop or fail, the 4+1 countries and the United States realize that the Islamic Republic does not intend to reach an agreement and wants to buy time and reduce the break out range (a gap between the moment it decides to the moment it produces a nuclear explosive device), the situation will change and the way will be opened for the IAEA to issue a new resolution on violation of the JCPOA by the Islamic Republic, refer Iran's case to the Security Council, use the trigger mechanism, and impose tougher sanctions. The current negotiations have provided a new opportunity for diplomacy. If diplomacy does not work, there will be other ways, which can be catastrophic for the Iranian people. With losing the opportunity in Vienna, the Islamic Republic will no longer be able to declare only economic sanctions as the cause of poverty and misery for the people of Iran. If the Islamic Republic does not take advantage of the opportunity provided for diplomacy to return to the JCPOA and reach an agreement with the negotiating parties and continues to reach the threshold of building a nuclear weapon, the country will face increasing crises, more misery in the lives of the majority of the people, and the danger of a military attack.

Political-Executive Board of the Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian)

December 9, 2021