Iran's Prevention of Human Rights and Missile Program Issues in Vienna Negotiations

An Iranian parliament representative, quoting Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, reported the existence of "six contentious issues" between Iran and the 1+5 group regarding the timing and manner of lifting sanctions, stating that Iran has "not allowed" the discussion of human rights and its missile program in recent nuclear negotiations. He also mentioned a "reduction of differences" between Iran and the Western side regarding the Arak heavy water reactor and noted that the extension of negotiations was within the "authority of Iran's nuclear negotiating team." In this context, the Mehr news agency reported, citing an unnamed representative, that Zarif emphasized in a parliamentary session that if the Western side does not fulfill its commitments, "Iran will also revert and begin 20% enrichment." On Saturday, December 8, Mohammad Javad Zarif presented a report on Iran's recent nuclear negotiations with the 1+5 group in a closed session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly. According to the House of Representatives news agency, quoting Gholamali Jafarzadeh, a representative from Rasht, Zarif stressed that Iran has never allowed the negotiation partner to raise off-agenda issues such as human rights and the missile program. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic had previously emphasized that Iran's missile program would never be discussed at the nuclear negotiation table. In recent weeks, alongside the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the 1+5 countries, media affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard have reported extensively on Iran's missile capabilities for "attacking Israel" and the missiles that the Islamic Republic has provided to armed groups in Palestine and Lebanon. In this regard, Yuval Steinitz, Israel's Minister of Intelligence and Strategic Affairs, stated that any comprehensive nuclear agreement with Iran must entail the elimination of all uranium enrichment and plutonium production capabilities in Iran and must also halt Iran's missile cooperation with North Korea. The Rasht representative also quoted Zarif as saying, "There are six contentious issues regarding the timing and manner of lifting sanctions and when Iran can enter the capital market." He cited the Foreign Minister of Iran stating that the extension of negotiations was within the authority of Iran's nuclear negotiating team. Furthermore, according to the state news agency IRNA, Jafarzadeh clarified that "the probability of negotiation failure is always below 50%, but the Muscat negotiations were difficult, bitter, and hard, with most sessions starting with tension and ending with dissatisfaction and complaints." This statement recalls the remarks of Aladdin Boroujerdi, head of the National Security Commission of the Iranian Parliament, who described the Tehran and 1+5 negotiations in the Omani capital as "challenging, serious, and bitter." Meanwhile, Hossein Sobhaninia, a member of the Iranian Parliament's presiding board, evaluated the Foreign Minister's report to the representatives positively, but Javad Karimi Qodosi, a member of the Stability Front in Parliament, said that Zarif's report was "as always general" and that this session was not "effective" for the representatives. Concurrently with the Foreign Minister's report to Parliament, Saeed Jalili, former head of Iran's nuclear negotiating team, described the Geneva agreement as "weak." According to the Iranian Labor News Agency, ILNA, he stated, "The maintenance of the sanctions regime is a sign of continued enmity with the Iranian nation and requires a proportional response." Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, on Thursday, December 6, while announcing his non-opposition to the extension of Iran's nuclear negotiations with the 1+5 countries, emphasized Iran's readiness to accept "fair and rational agreements."