UPDATE 2-Iran accuses Western powers of “blame game” over nuclear deal

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By Parisa Hafezi

VIENNA, Dec. 14 (Reuters) – Iran on Tuesday accused western parties to its 2015 nuclear deal of “persisting in their blame game”, a day after EU diplomats warned the pact would soon be an empty shell if it was not revived.

“Some actors persist in their habit of blaming, instead of true diplomacy. We came up with our ideas from the start and worked constructively and flexibly to narrow the gaps,” said Iran’s chief negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani. , on Twitter.

“Diplomacy is a two-way street. If there is a real will to remedy the wrongdoing of the culprit, the path to a quick good deal will be clear.”

In a pessimistic assessment of talks between Iran and the great powers in Vienna, British, French and German diplomats warned on Monday that “time is running out” to save the pact, which they say will very soon become “an empty shell. “without progress. in negotiations.

Indirect talks between Iran and the United States began in April but ended in June after the election of extremist cleric Ebrahim Raisi, whose negotiating team returned to Vienna after five months with an uncompromising position.

The stakes are high. Failure to negotiate would carry the risk of yet another regional war, with Israel pushing for a tough policy if diplomacy fails to curb Iran’s nuclear work.

In 2019, Iran began violating nuclear restrictions under the pact in response to a 2018 decision by then-US President Donald Trump to withdraw from the deal and reimpose tough sanctions. that devastated the Iranian economy.

“Who violated the deal? The Americans. Who should compensate for that and be flexible? The Americans of course,” a senior Iranian official said.

Iranian religious leaders believe that a harsh approach, led by their strongly anti-Western Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, may force Washington to accept Tehran’s “maximalist demands”, analysts and diplomats have said.

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“But it could backfire on us. This is a very dangerous and sensitive issue. Failure of diplomacy will have consequences for everyone,” a Middle East diplomat said.

During the seventh round of talks, which began on November 29, Iran abandoned all the compromises it had made in the previous six, pocketed those made by others and demanded more, said a senior official. American official.

With wide gaps between Iran and the United States on some key issues – such as the speed and scope of the sanctions lifting and how and when Iran will reverse its nuclear steps – the chances of a deal appear slim .

Iran insists on the immediate removal of all sanctions according to a verifiable process. The United States has said it will remove restrictions “inconsistent” with the nuclear pact if Iran returns to comply with the deal, which means it will leave others in place, such as those imposed. by virtue of terrorism or human rights measures.

Iran is also seeking to ensure that “no US administration” will back down on the pact again. But Biden can’t promise it because the nuclear deal is a non-binding political agreement, not a legally binding treaty.

“How can we trust the Americans again? What if they abandon the deal again? Therefore, the party that violated the deal would have to provide guarantees that it will never happen again,” he said. Iranian official.

“It’s their problem, not ours to solve … They can find a solution and give us guarantees.” (Written by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Lincoln Feast, Robert Birsel)

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