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French President Emmanuel Macron has called on his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi to return to fulfilling Tehran's obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal "without delay" as negotiators seek to revive the accord at talks in Vienna, his office said.
In telephone talks on Monday, Macron urged Raisi to engage in a "constructive manner" in the talks that resumed after a suspension of almost half a year, following the election of the hardliner to the Iranian presidency.
European powers are seeking to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that has been moribund since the United States walked out in 2018, prompting Tehran to ramp up nuclear activities as Washington reimposed sanctions.
France's objective "was to see Iran return to full respect for all of its commitments under the JCPOA and that the United States return to the agreement," the French presidency said.
Macron also "underscored the need for Iran to engage constructively in this direction so that the exchanges allow a swift return to the agreement," it added.
"Iran must return without delay to compliance with all its commitments and obligations... and quickly resume cooperation that allows the (UN atomic) agency to fully carry out its mission," it said.
A statement from Raisi's office added that he urged Macron "to strive with other parties in Vienna to conclude the negotiations and lift the sanctions against Iran."
"Sending a full team to the talks shows Iran's serious will in these talks," Raisi said.
Referring to the United States, he added: "Those who have started to violate the nuclear deal must gain the confidence of the other party for the negotiations to proceed in a real and fruitful manner."
The EU chair of the talks, Enrique Mora, said after the first session of discussions Monday that he felt "extremely positive," though he acknowledged that "difficult issues" have yet to be tackled.
Israel PM warns against Iran 'nuclear blackmail'
Jerusalem (AFP) Nov 29, 2021 -
Israel's prime minister charged that Iran was Monday re-entering talks on its nuclear programme to seek sanctions relief in exchange for "almost nothing," insisting Tehran should "not be rewarded."
"Despite Iran's violations and undermining of the nuclear inspections, Iran will be arriving at the negotiation table in Vienna, and there are those who think they deserve to have their sanctions removed and hundreds of billions of dollars poured right into their rotten regime," Naftali Bennett said.
"They're wrong," said the Israeli premier.
"Such a murderous regime should not be rewarded," Bennett said, urging Israel's allies "to not give into Iran's nuclear blackmail".
The Israeli prime minister said Tehran was be entering the negotiations in Vienna with the objective "to end sanctions in exchange for almost nothing".
Bennett's top diplomat Yair Lapid was in Europe on Monday for meetings with British and French leaders to press Israel's case against any concessions to arch foe Iran or a revival of the 2015 nuclear deal.
That pact between Tehran and world powers was designed to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear arsenal by imposing strict limits on its nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief.
Israel under former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu cheered when former US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement in 2018.
President Joe Bidens administration, however, says it is working to return the United States to the accord whose other parties are Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.
UK will work 'flat out' to stop Iran becoming nuclear power
London (AFP) Nov 29, 2021 -
Britain will work "flat out" and keep "all options on the table" in order to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb, foreign minister Liz Truss vowed on Monday.
Truss met her Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid for talks in London on Monday, where he will also meet with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Truss made the comments in a press briefing shortly after signing a "memorandum of understanding" aimed at creating stronger collaboration between the two nations on cyber-security, defence and trade.
She said Britain would "work flat out to prevent the Iranian regime from gaining nuclear weapons.
"We are absolutely determined to prevent Iran from securing a nuclear weapon," she added.
Iran said it hoped to reach an agreement with major powers on salvaging its 2015 nuclear deal at talks resuming in Vienna on Monday.
Truss said that Britain "wants those talks to work, but if they don't work, all options are on the table".
But Lapid accused Tehran of trying to get sanctions lifted.
"They will play for time, earn billions from the removal of sanctions, continue to deceive the world, and covertly advance their nuclear programme," he said.
"This is what they have done in the past and it is what they will do this time as well.
"The world must prevent this, and it can prevent this," he added, calling for "tighter sanctions (and) tighter supervision".
The pair said earlier in a joint article in the Daily Telegraph newspaper they would "work night and day to prevent the Iranian regime from ever becoming a nuclear power".
The landmark 2015 nuclear deal offered a lifting of some of the economic sanctions Iran had been under, in return for strict curbs on its nuclear programme.
But the deal began falling apart in 2018 when then-US president Donald Trump pulled out and began reinstating sanctions.
The following year, Iran retaliated by exceeding the limits on its nuclear activity laid down in the deal and has in recent months restricted the activities of inspectors from UN watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
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