As part of an effort to revive the international nuclear deal with Iran, Russia has discussed a possible interim agreement with Iran in recent weeks that would involve limited sanctions relief in return for reimposing some restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear program, NBC News quoted two senior US official, one Congressional official, one former US official and four other people familiar with the discussions as claiming about the issue of lifting of unilateral US sanctions against Iran.
The sources said the US is aware of Russia’s proposal to Iran, which comes as concern grows within the Biden administration that time is running out on negotiations between Iran and world powers over a full return to the 2015 nuclear deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, NBC claimed.
While the officials and people familiar with the discussions said Russia’s talks with Iran about an interim deal have been conducted with the knowledge of the US, senior Biden administration officials distanced the US from the Russian effort, the report added.
The report comes as Iran's Permanent Mission to the United Nations announced on Friday that Tehran does not want an interim agreement, and according to NBC News, Iran has so far rejected the proposal presented by Russia, the officials and other people familiar with the discussions said.
The eighth round of talks on the removal of anti-Iranian sanctions began in Austria capital of Vienna on December 27 and the negotiators are busy turning ideas into words and sentences.
During the previous round of the talks, the first under Iran’s new President Ebrahim Raeisi, Iran presented new proposals at the negotiating table to help the talks move forward and later criticized the European signatories of the JCPOA for failing to follow suit and remaining passive.
In withdrawing from the deal in 2018, the Trump administration reinstated harsh economic sanctions on Iran.
Iran says the US sanctions need to be removed in a verifiable manner. It also says Washington should provide guarantees that it will not pull out again.
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