Iraqi: Any Agreement Must Be Balanced and Equitable

Abbas Araghchi, a senior member of Iran's negotiating team regarding its nuclear program, stated in an interview with Iranian state television on April 2 that any agreement must be balanced and equitable, with equal reversibility or irreversibility for both parties. The Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister emphasized that progress has been made in some areas of the nuclear negotiations and mentioned that reaching an agreement would be possible if a "balanced" approach is adopted. According to the Islamic Republic's official news agency, IRNA, this government official noted that the "counterpart" parties during the Lausanne negotiations were "not fully coordinated," which led them to hold a meeting to try to align their positions. These statements come a day after the foreign ministers of the U.S., U.K., Germany, and France, members of the P5+1 group in nuclear negotiations with Iran, emphasized a "common goal" during a meeting in London and stated that it is time for the Islamic Republic to make "difficult decisions." The Iranian foreign ministers engaged in intensive discussions in Lausanne, Switzerland, in the days leading up to the end of the Persian year 1393, which are set to continue from April 5. The parties aim to reach a comprehensive agreement by the end of March, although it remains uncertain whether this will be achievable. The issue of lifting sanctions and the manner of doing so is one of the most significant points of contention among the negotiating parties. Reports indicate that the United States is seeking a gradual lifting of sanctions in exchange for consistent actions from Tehran, while France is calling for a "symbolic" lifting of sanctions imposed on Tehran over the years. Furthermore, Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has stated that the lifting of sanctions must be "part of the nuclear negotiations" with the P5+1 countries and should occur without any delay in relation to the agreement. John Kerry tweeted after the London meeting: "A productive meeting in London regarding #IranNegotiations. United on achieving a good agreement, not just any agreement [that can be reached]." Barack Obama, the President of the United States, stated in an interview with the Huffington Post published on April 1 that "what is crucial in reaching an agreement with Iran is primarily whether Iran is willing to prove to the world that it is not producing a nuclear bomb and that this can be tested randomly and regularly." In response to a question regarding the "verification" mentioned in Obama's statements, Araghchi said, "It is not surprising that after the agreement, the actions of both parties should be verifiable in a very clear mechanism, and we are also seeking for this to exist in a balanced and equitable manner for both sides." Araghchi asserted that "balance" and "equity" should also exist regarding reversible or irreversible issues in the nuclear program. According to the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, "Any action that both parties take should have equal reversibility or, if irreversible, must be irreversible for both parties." Regarding the continuation of negotiations from April 5, Araghchi noted that technical solutions have been found, but politically, efforts must continue. These two will progress in parallel. Tehran has consistently emphasized that its nuclear program pursues only peaceful objectives and has no intention of producing nuclear weapons. The West and the U.S. are suspicious of Iran's intentions, which has led to sanctions against Iran over the years. In addition, Iran has faced United Nations sanctions as well.