Iran’s Top Diplomat: New EU Sanctions to Undermine Nuclear Talks

By Staff, Agencies

Iran's top nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi has warned that the imposition of so-called human rights sanctions on Iran by the European Union will weaken endeavors for pushing forward nuclear negotiations.

The Iranian deputy Foreign Minister for political affairs said that on Thursday, the delegation in Vienna, Austria, cautioned the European side that they have neglected their duty when it came to reacting to a recent terrorist attack on an Iranian nuclear site, while they are pretending to following up human rights.

The EU announced in its official journal on Monday that the bloc had imposed sanctions on eight Iranian commanders and three prisons over so-called human rights violations.

Araqchi underlined that the new sanctions have been imposed in order to damage negotiations on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA] and a general agreement.

He told Press TV, the Tehran-based Iranian news network, in Vienna that the Europeans have not only ignored sabotage at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, but also have been busy to impose new sanctions on the country, and this trend is unacceptable.

According to the diplomat, Tehran is ready to propose a list of actions that Iran should carry out following the lifting of sanctions. Of course, Washington should provide a list of sanctions that it will remove, because “nothing will happen” without such a measure.

“I cannot say that I am optimistic, but I think we are in a good path; although, we had negative impacts of developments of the recent days and we should manage them somehow,” he mentioned.

Araqchi emphasized that the list of lifting sanctions should include third parties, who have been sanctioned because of their cooperation with Iran.