By wasting time, the Iranian government is trying to defy the conditions expected by the Western powers, especially the US government, in Tehran’s nuclear negotiations with world powers. Analysts believe this is in the hope of forcing them to give the regime more concessions and step back from their demands that the regime halts its missile and regional projects.
That’s unacceptable for Western powers. In an interview with Al-Arabiya TV on October 2, 2021, the French Foreign Minister emphasized that the path to negotiations will not remain permanently open and that regional and missile issues should be negotiated.
In return wasting time, western officials have repeatedly warned them. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Iran should know that time is not in its best interests and that it is better to return to the negotiating table soon.
French President Emmanuel Macron, in a phone call with China’s president, also called for the regime’s adherence to the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, and warned the regime against violating the JCPOA.
The state-run news agency Student News Network (SNN) quoted French President Emmanuel Macron and wrote: “Iran must end activities that contradict JCPOA provisions.” (SNN, October 27, 2021)
According to the Evening Standard, Liz Truss, the British Foreign Minister, also warned: “Iran has no credible civilian justification for its nuclear escalation. As I made clear to my Iranian counterpart, Iran needs to urgently return to the negotiating table.
“If Iran does not engage meaningfully in negotiations, we will reconsider our approach. All options are on the table.” (Evening Standard, October 27, 2021)
The US Special Representative for Iran, Robert Malley, has shared America’s “growing concern” about Iran’s alleged nuclear advancement, as he declared that talks over reviving the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal are in a critical phase.
He said that there is a “growing concern over the pace and direction of Iran’s nuclear progress.” (RT, 25 October 2021)
The Director-General of the International Atomic Agency (IAEA) recently warned the regime to abandon its disposal policy and not disrupt the agency’s oversight of inspections of nuclear facilities.
Although the regime apparently wants to pressure the negotiating countries to achieve its goal in possible future negotiations, the reality is that the regime’s supreme leaders Ali Khamenei can’t determine the JCPOA’s situation and is confused about it.
On the one hand, he is under pressure from Western countries and their constant threats, and on the other hand, even within his faction, there is no unified policy, and there are conflicting statements about the JCPOA and its discussions.
Elements within the principlist faction consider the JCPOA dead, as Khamenei’s mouthpiece in the Kayhan newspaper Shariatmadari called it a ‘deadly poison’ and a ‘stinking body.’
The regime’s president Ebrahim Raisi, however, speaks of negotiations, as he said in a recent interview with the state-TV Channel 1, “Iran has never left the negotiating table, and we are certainly serious about outcome-oriented negotiations.” (State-TV Channel 1, October 18, 2021)
Iranian officials, including Khamenei, know well that giving in to the ‘real negotiations’ desired by Western countries means that they must submit to their demands and negotiate regional and missile policy and surrender, and it is impossible to revive the 2015 JCPOA.
Iran’s state media and experts have acknowledged the fact that the regime’s so-called tactics of delay and not giving in to the ‘real negotiations’ desired by Western countries are shabby methods that cannot have any achievement for the regime.
The state-run daily Etemad wrote: “The lifting of all nuclear and non-nuclear sanctions was also discussed in the previous administration’s negotiations, and ultimately this demand did not work out. It should be noted that when the U.S. uses sanctions as a pressure tool, it is very unlikely that the U.S. will abandon it entirely. We can make this demand, but in practice, all predictions say this will not be fulfilled.” (State-run daily Etemad, October 28, 2021)
The state-run daily Arman took a step further and called the regime’s behavior dangerous and said:
“From the tone of all the permanent members of the Security Council, they are bored, and everyone is willing to see Iran enter these serious negotiations decisively, transparently, and accurately, and the outcome should that what the JCPOA members are waiting for. Because the impasse is a major threat that is turning over Iran’s head and can go as far as military intervention.” (State-run daily Arman, October 28, 2021)
This is something that is lurking behind the regime’s doors: “Mr. Sullivan explained that this administration believes diplomacy is the best path to achieve that goal, while also noting that the president has made clear that if diplomacy fails, the United States is prepared to turn to other options.”(Algemeiner, October 5, 2021)
