Ex-Iranian Diplomat: Revived Nuclear Talks Must Start with U.S. Lifting of Crippling Sanctions

The United States and Iran are holding more indirect talks as part of a push to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, after former President Donald Trump pulled out of the accord nearly three years ago. The two countries agreed to set up two expert-level working groups along with other signatories of the 2015 deal, which is formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA. While Iran formally remains in the JCPOA, it has faced international criticism for increasing production of nuclear materials it says are for peaceful purposes. The United States has imposed some 1,600 different sanctions on Iran in a move that has also made it harder for Iranians to import food and medicine, a situation that became even more dire during the pandemic. The main hurdle to reviving the nuclear deal is doubt over the U.S. commitment to diplomacy, says Seyed Hossein Mousavian, Middle East security and nuclear policy specialist at Princeton University and former spokesperson for Iran on its nuclear negotiations with the European Union. “The U.S. needs to do some serious steps to revive the trust,” Mousavian says.

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[Larkinchance]

Sanctions has damaged the Dollar as the world reserve currency. Large powerful and influential countries are now looking for an alternative.

[ramsesribb]

Can we search Israel and their submarines for WMDs?

[unggrabb]

The signatories to the JCPOA should have ignored the US and their antics unilaterally leaving it. Iran kept is part for almost 2 years, so the US should immediately drop sanctions, and then Iran goes back to its 100% compliance it so diligently maintained.

[aidamartinez]

I grow up thinking USA was some kind of "superhero"...what a great disappointment!

[ramsesribb]

Can we search Israel and their submarines for WMD’s?

[mustafabinsober]

Excluding Iranian falafel from world markets is a war crime

[ramsesribb]

Iran does not have to “comply” with evil. Reminds me of time a known bully got his ass whipped and then when he got in his truck to leave, stepped out with a tire tool and yelled threats that if anyone tells people about this how he’s gonna whip their asses.

[medicuswashington]

Please report on sanctions on Venezuela and Cuba. Thanks

[ALL_CAPS__]

Good for a Iran. They need to stand their ground and we need to make the concessions first. What is the use in negotiating with one administration when the next can roll it back? Rules for thee but not for me.

[iatlanet]

The US is concerned about Iranian presidential elections and what defeat of Rouhani as the representative of Western-oriented liberals and empowering of revolutionary anti-imperialist camp headed by Dr. Saeed Mohammad & Saeed Jalili.

[dariondonte]

But if one were to express discontent of any sort towards the isreal %€+/÷, youtube would QUICKLY remove said comments.

[danielsykes]

This is so stressful, but so important.

[abk]

US is not an honest broker and its foreign policy has been disaster at best, however, the point is not the "nuclear Deal" which is really imposed by Israel. The issue about this regime in Iran is Human Rights. The US and European must emphasize and force the ruthless regime to observing human rights, from which the nuclear problem will automatically resolved. In a free society, no one will be interested in making nuclear arsenal. for years Iranians are under a ruthless dictatorship that the world has not been experienced before. So many political prisoners, so many executions, so may killings of peaceful demonstrators, no freedom of press and no freedom of expressions or ideas or even religion, but now, Amy is talking to an "agent" of the Islamic regime. Of course he is going to be the loudspeaker of the regime. It is really shameful that because of criticizing US policies you promote the cause of Islamic "Republic" regime.

[edward]

"Must" is a strong word.
Why not try, "I" statements.

[cyrusdashty]

Sad day for humanity when the Islamic republic of Iran (its not Islamic, not a Republican, and not iranian)has the moral upper hand on anybody else. They're brutality can only reaches the iranian people.