Iran says it has given a 'constructive response' on nuclear deal, awaits US response: spokesperson

The spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry, Nasser Kanaani, said Tehran has provided the US with a "transparent, legal and constructive" draft response regarding the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, in a new statement on Monday.

Kanaani said that Iran is still awaiting a response from Washington, as well as from European parties to the talks, and stressed that Tehran is "working responsibly and seriously to create the conditions for the completion of the agreement," but at the same time emphasised that this "depends on the will and seriousness of [other parties]".

The spokesperson also stressed that lifting US and international sanctions in order to benefit the country economically are among Tehran's main goals during the talks, noting that what Iran seeks is not to leave "any ambiguity" in the negotiations' text.

His comments come after the US on Thursday described Iran’s latest response to the nuclear deal revival – despite it being mostly approved by the European Union - as "not constructive".

In the statement, Kanaani further expressed that the nuclear negotiations are of "great importance" to the country in order to ensure the agreement’s continuation, and for there to be no repetition of "what occurred following the 2015 deal," he added.

The US administration of President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018, reimposing harsh sanctions that have seriously damaged Iran's economy.

Kanaani added that that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s investigations into "unclear" nuclear activities in Iran were politically motivated, accusing Israel of being behind claims that there was such activity in Iran.

Iran insists that these investigations end in order to conclude negotiations but the US says they should keep going. 

However, should US President Joe Biden return to the 2015 deal, the United States would ease sanctions in return for Iran accepting strict restrictions on its nuclear program.

The European Union put forward on August 8 what it called a final text to restore the deal.

Talks to revive the 2015 accord known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action have been ongoing in Vienna since April 2021, with Iran and the US often engaging in back-and-forth accusations.

The 2015 deal granted Iran much-needed sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear programme to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon, a goal that Tehran has denied pursuing.