These negotiations are overshadowed by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, far from public view and media pressure. After three months of intense and confidential negotiations in the old-fashioned charm of a Viennese palace, the rescue of the nuclear agreement (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPoA) signed in 2015 with Iran, then denounced in May 2018 by the United States of Donald Trump, is about to conclude. In the best case, a compromise could even be unveiled in the next few days. “A draft agreement is on the table”, indicates, at World, a source familiar with the matter.
The representatives of the other signatory countries – France, Germany, the United Kingdom, China and Russia – are now only awaiting a decision from the highest Iranian authorities. “We must now clearly understand that political decisions are needed on the part of Tehran”, recently indicated the head of French diplomacy, Jean-Yves Le Drian. “We are at a tipping point, a decision is needed now,” says a source.
The objective of the work in progress is twofold: to allow the return of the United States to the agreement, while forcing Tehran to suspend its nuclear program. Since former Republican President Donald Trump tried to torpedo the compromise signed by his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama, by unilaterally withdrawing his country from it, Iran has freed itself from the commitments made three years earlier to better relaunch the development of the atomic weapon. According to experts, the country would already enrich enough uranium, and would also master the production of uranium metal, to equip itself with a first bomb in a few weeks, if it so decided. This time says of “breakout” would be lengthened substantially with the new agreement, without reaching the twelve months approved seven years ago.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei rather encouraging
The Westerners have warned that they do not wish to discuss beyond the end of February, before the device which it is a question of restoring does not become completely obsolete because of the rapid progress, according to them, of the Iranian nuclear program. For the countries negotiating the agreement, the time has therefore come to conclude on the basis of a give and take that is difficult to implement. Over the course of the talks, the United States offered to lift many, but not all, financial and economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for the Islamic Republic’s return to the commitments made seven years ago. The deadlines retained by the initial agreement will not be extended: thus Tehran will be prohibited from carrying out uranium enrichment activities by 2025.
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