Iran Rejects Report of Final Text in Vienna Talks with Europeans

By Staff, Agencies

An Iranian foreign ministry official has dismissed a Wall Street Journal report that a text for restoring the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran had been completed and that negotiations in Vienna were finished.

“Given the continuation of discussions on several important remaining issues, we are not yet at a stage where we can talk about the finalization of the text,” the unnamed official was quoted as saying by IRNA news agency late Monday.

Iranian officials have said they had already conveyed an initial response to the draft and would come back with additional views at a later point.  

“The negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Iran has presented its constructive opinions to the other side with the aim of advancing the negotiations, and the outcome of the talks depends on the will of the other side to make the necessary political decisions,” the foreign ministry official said.

The official further added: We still believe that if appropriate decisions are made by the other side, the negotiations can be concluded quickly, but we are not at this stage yet.”

In a phone call on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell Iran “expected that all sides show determination and seriousness to reach the final text of the agreement.”

Iranian media also dismissed the idea that the text was close to being finalized, saying there were still “a few important remaining issues” to be resolved.