Iran Media Cautious In Commenting On Nuclear Talks
Maryam Sinaiee
Iran International
Iranian media Tuesday was reserved, or disinterested over prospects for Iran’s resumed nuclear talks in Vienna, anxious not to sound negative or raise hopes.
Iran International
Iranian media Tuesday was reserved, or disinterested over prospects for Iran’s resumed nuclear talks in Vienna, anxious not to sound negative or raise hopes.
It appeared that the media have been warned to avoid criticism of the negotiating team and its strategies, as well as raise hopes about the outcome of the talks.
Some outlets steered clear of comment. Khabar Online, a popular conservative news website close to former nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, a supporter of the 2015 nuclear deal, adorned its four top spots with articles on football advertising rights, shortages of diabetes medicines, an interview with a pop singer, and a report on President Ebrahim Raisi's (Raeesi) provincial visits.
In a note published by Arman daily, reformist journalist Ahmad Zeidabadi suggested the reserved approach resulted from self-censorship due to fears that anyone who discussed the dangers to the country if talks failed would be accused of "playing in the enemy's field.”
Zeidabadi said that the Iranian delegation should not leave the Vienna talks empty-handed under any circumstances "because domestic, regional and international situations will be extremely different from the current situation." He added: "Nothing more can be said for now.”
Zeidabadi did, however, add that the new negotiation team appointed by Raisi had a better and more realistic understanding of the country's economic and other circumstances than their predecessors, even if they had to adapt their previous opposition to the 2015 deal, the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
In the reformist Shargh newspaper, former diplomat Javid Ghorbanoghli wrote of his optimism that the Raisi administration had recognized the “urgent need" to resolve problems arising from United States sanctions that hampered Iran’s international economic and financial relations.
Ghorbanoghli criticized Iranian negotiators and the foreign minister for excluding the US from the talks while insisting on the lifting of US sanctions. The talks, which began in April under the previous administration of President Hassan Rouhani, take place within the structures of the JCPOA, with the US taking part indirectly as it left the JCPOA in 2018.
It is not right, he maintained, to limit the negotiations to European countries which hardliners themselves accuse of failure in saving the nuclear deal when the US abandoned it and not engaging in economic relations with Iran despite their commitments under the deal.
Ghorbanoghli argued that Iran’s insistence on acquiring guarantees that the US would not again leave the JCPOA was logical but not good strategy and not feasible. He also suggested that Iran should not see advancing its nuclear program – through stockpiling highly-enriched uranium and using modern centrifuges – as a winning card for the talks.
He pointed out that expanding the nuclear program could leave Iran in a more difficult position should the talks fail as it would alienate Russia and China: "Those who have devised this plan must offer a clear picture to the country's decisionmakers of what steps they will take next if their plan fails."
In Washington, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the US remained committed to securing Tehran’s “full compliance” with the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).
The Wall Street Journal is among US media uneasy over President Joe Biden’s handling of Iran. “For months the US has been all but begging Iran to return to the table, though the US won’t literally even be at the table in Vienna,” a Journal editorial noted Monday, “so American negotiators must work through European intermediaries. The US seems undeterred by this intentional humiliation.”
The Vienna talks Monday involved China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Afterwards, Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s lead negotiator, claimed they had focused on lifting US sanctions, with a working group starting work immediately. He portrayed this as a significant victory for Iran.
“It is a major achievement that all parties in the meeting accepted Iran’s demand that first the situation of illegal and unjust US sanctions...should be cleared and then (we) discuss other issues,” Bagheri Kani told reporters.
Enrique Mora, the European Union official chairing the talks, gave a welcome to proceedings, which began amid growing pessimism over prospects.
"I feel extremely positive about what I have seen today," Mora said, suggesting the Iranians had not rejected outright the results of the previous six rounds of talks held April-June under the previous Iranian administration of President Hassan Rouhani. "They have accepted that the work done over the first six rounds is a good basis to build our work ahead.”
The earlier talks had struggled to agree which US sanctions levied since previous US president Donald Trump left the JCPOA in 2018 were incompatible with the deal, as well as how exactly Iran would curb the nuclear program it has expanded since 2019, including by enriching uranium to 60 percent, far above the 3.67 percent allowed under the JCPOA.
“We will be of course incorporating the new political sensibilities of the new Iranian administration," Mora said.
Testing
This was the first round of talks since the Vienna process lapsed in June, as Iran suspended its participation after its presidential election. With many members of the new administration of President Ebrahim Raisi (Raeesi) known to be critics of the JCPOA, today was the first chance to test Tehran’s new negotiators.
Bagheri Kani had specifically said Iran required guarantees that the US will not again leave an agreement and impose fresh sanctions.
But while all remaining JCPOA signatories argue formally that both the US and Iran should return to the terms of the deal, there have been growing differences in approach between, on one side, the three European signatories (the E3) and, on the other, Russia and China.
Russia recently played down International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concerns over Iran, while Wang Qun, China’s IAEA envoy last week linked the Vienna talks to the Aukus atomic submarine deal between the US, UK and Australia.
Comments from US officials reflect that the EU-US relationship has warmed since Trump left office, and as European concerns grow over the expanding Iranian nuclear program and Tehran’s restriction on its cooperation with the IAEA.
Leverage
"If Iran thinks it can use this time to build more leverage and then come back and say they want something better, it simply won't work. We and our partners won't go for it," Rob Malley, the US special envoy for Iran, told the BBC Saturday.
Biden officials have stressed their consultation not just with the E3 but with Israel, which has opposed the JCPOA. Israel’s foreign minister Yair Lapid warned in London Monday that Iran would "play for time, earn billions from the removal of sanctions, continue to deceive the world and covertly advance the nuclear program."
Iran has been increasingly wary of the Europeans, especially in their criticizing Iran through IAEA country-level meetings. But Europe still hopes to bring all parties together and revive the JCPOA. French President Macron held a 90-minute phone call Monday afternoon with Raisi, the official Iranian news agency reported.