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The Iranian leadership "has a choice before it" "now the moment of truth has come," the head of the German government said.
"We have come a long way in the negotiations in Vienna over the past ten months. All the elements needed to conclude the negotiations are on the table," Solts continued. However, the German Chancellor warned that continued uranium enrichment would be considered unacceptable while the monitoring of Iran's field activities by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitors continues to be suspended.
"The acquisition of a nuclear arsenal (by Iran) is unacceptable to us. Because Israel's security is also non-negotiable," he said.
It will soon be decided whether there will be a return to the 2015 treaty, formally the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Solts added.
"We now have the opportunity to reach an agreement that will allow for the lifting of sanctions," the German chancellor added, warning, however, that "if we do not conclude it quickly, there is a risk that the negotiations will fail."
Later, from the same podium, Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdolahian countered that the success of the negotiations depends equally on the other parties, stressing that Tehran is showing seriousness and progress has been made. He assured that the Iranian leadership wants an agreement to be reached as soon as possible.
However, the Iranian diplomatic chief added, the other parties, especially the US, should also show goodwill, judging that the ball is now in their side of the court.
[BR][BR]The talks in Vienna in recent months have been aimed at reaching an understanding to bring Tehran back to full compliance with the treaty and Washington back into it by lifting sanctions it has re-imposed. The CSTO provided for the lifting of international economic sanctions against Iran in exchange for strict restrictions on the country's nuclear energy programme, at least in theory to exclude any possibility of the Islamic Republic acquiring a nuclear arsenal.
Former US President Donald Trump's decision in 2018 to withdraw Washington from the deal unilaterally and impose previous sanctions as well as new ones led Iran to begin in May 2019 to abandon compliance with many of the restrictions on the country's nuclear energy programme provided for under the treaty. Several experts now estimate that Iran is only a few weeks away from having sufficient fissile material at its disposal to proceed with the production of a nuclear weapon, although there are several more, extremely complex, steps before it can actually build such a weapon.
The US administration on Thursday spoke of "substantial progress" in the Vienna negotiations, saying an agreement was possible "within days" but if Iran "shows that it is treating the issue seriously". Iranian negotiator Ali Bayeri also assured this week that envoys are "closer than ever" to their goal, adding "but nothing is agreed until it is agreed."
Source: CNA
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