Iran FM, EU’s Borrell discuss JCPOA on phone

Tehran, IRNA – Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell discussed the negotiations aimed at reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and removing sanctions against the country. Those negotiations began in April 2021, three years after the US pulled out of the nuclear deal and threw it into disarray. The talks, however, have been stopped for several months now over what Iran calls a lack of political decision by the United States to return to its commitments under the accord. Amirabdollahian and Borrell held their talks on the phone Monday night. They also talked about Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the IAEA. Hours earlier, Borrell told reporters in Brussels that the European Union will continue efforts aimed reaching an agreement on the revival of the Iran deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the JCPOA. Borrell spoke of what he called a deadlock in the JCPOA revival talks, but added that the EU will continue to act as the coordinator of the talks despite problems. This issue is not related to other issues that the EU is concerned about, he said. The top EU diplomat made the comments after the bloc imposed additional sanctions on Iran over what it described as a crackdown against protests, targeting 29 individuals and three entities. Those protests began in mid-September after the death of young woman Mahsa Amini, but soon turned into riots and vandalism. Iran has blamed foreign elements, including the US, the UK, Saudi Arabia, and Israel for the riots, saying that they have provided support to rioters. The Islamic Republic has promised a firm response to anyone disturbing the security of the Iranian people. Follow us on Twitter @IrnaEnglish