Iran says nuclear agreement will be met if it has guarantees that the USA will lift all sanctions.

Iran’s foreign minister has said that if the Western powers have intention and will to get this agreement done, only then will it happen. He says that they will show this by lifting all sanctions on Iran and guarantee Iran that no sanctions will be put in place in the future. Iran has been looking for these guarantees, especially from the United States, since the landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

In Vienna, they are currently looking to restore that deal after Former President Donald Trump abandoned it in 2018. The deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, provided Iran with lifts of sanctions in return for a curb on Iran’s nuclear programme. Since The United States withdrew, sanctions have been put back in place and Iran has started to expand their nuclear programme.

Despite the recent reopening of talks, Iran has rejected all deadlines imposed by the Western powers but a final agreement is expected between the end of Janurary and the beginning of Feburary. Western diplomats say the sharp differences remain and the most challenging issues are still et to be resolved, however the Western powers are still optimistic, “I remain convinced we can reach a deal. Bits of progress has been made in the last few days,” says French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.