There have been no nuclear negotiations since Iran President Ebrahim Raisi was selected in a managed election in June.

UPDATE, SEPT 29:

A French Presidency official told reporters on Tuesday, “Nobody wants an escalation, but to avoid an escalation Iran must return to the negotiating table.”

Referring to the time needed to enrich sufficient uranium of a grade for a single nuclear weapon, the official said, “The more that time passes, the harder it becomes to return to the negotiating table…and the key question of restoring a manageable and acceptable breakout time for us becomes complicated to resolve.”

He called on Russia and China to stay united with the other 4+1 Powers (France, Germany, and UK) and urged Beijing to be more active: “Express itself and act in a more determined way.”

UPDATE, SEPT 25:

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian has walked back a Friday statement that nuclear talks would resume “very soon”.

Amir Abdollahian revised his comments in a State TV interview on Saturday:

People keep asking how soon is soon. Does it mean days, weeks or months?

The difference between Iranian and Western “soon” is a lot. To us, “soon” means really in the first opportune time – when our reviews have been completed. What is important is our determination to return to the talks, but those that are serious and guarantee the Iranian nation’s rights and interests.

Russia’s envoy to UN organizations in Vienna expressed concern over the statement:

On Friday, Amir Abdollahian told reporters, “We are reviewing the Vienna negotiations files currently and very soon Iran’s negotiations with the 4+1 countries [France, Germany, UK, China, and Russia] will recommence.”

A day earlier, the Foreign Minister told The New York Times that Iran will not agree to a “so-called ‘longer and stronger’ deal”.

That appeared to be a response to Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who said earlier this month that Israel would accept some other longer, broader and stronger nuclear agreement.

UPDATE, SEPT 24:

A “senior US official” has responded to Iran’s stalling over the resumption of nuclear talks, “We’re still interested. We still want to come back to the table. The window of opportunity is open. It won’t be open forever if Iran takes a different course.”

French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre echoed, “Time is not on our side with respect to a potential agreement because Iran is taking advantage of the delays in order to compound its nuclear violations, making a return to the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] increasingly complicated.”

UPDATE, SEPT 23:

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abollahian has met German and Britain counterparts — two of the 4+1 Powers still in the 2015 nuclear deal — as well as the European Union’s foreign policy chief on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

There was no apparent progress over the stalled Vienna talks. Amir Abdollahian repeated the standard Iranian line to UK Foreign Secretary Truss, “We’ve heard many words and promises in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, but have not seen any action. For current Iran government, measurable actions matter, not words.”

He reiterated the Iranian leadership’s blame of “Europe’s silence and support” for US sanctions.

Amir Abdollahian said to German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, “Other negotiating parties need to come to Vienna with necessary flexibility and understanding of the new circumstances arising from presence of a new government in Tehran.”

Truss indicated that she raised the issue of dual Anglo-Iranian nationals detained in Iran, or prevented from leaving the country. There was no sign of a change in Tehran’s position.

UK nationals imprisoned include environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, seized in January 2018, and businessman Anoush Ashoori, held since August 2017.

Anglo-Iranian charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, detained in April 2016 and sentenced to five years, was released on furlough in March 2020 but has been prevented from leaving the country. An additional sentence of one year was imposed on her this spring.

See also Iran Sentences Political Prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe to Another 12 Months

UPDATE, SEPT 22: In his first address to the UN General Assembly as Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi has derided US sanctions while scoffing at the American government and its authority.

Raisi jabbed:

This year, two scenes made history: one was on January the 6th when the US congress was attacked by the people and, two, when the people of Afghanistan were dropped down from the US planes in August.

From the Capitol to Kabul, one clear message was sent to the world: the US’ hegemonic system has no credibility.

Raisi said little about Iran’s political and economic situation. Instead, he railed against “sanctions [as] the US’s new way of war with the nations of the world” and maintained, “Today, the world doesn’t care about ‘America First’ or ‘America is Back’.”

Raisi’s “Security-First” Cabinet in Iran

Raisi also did not mention the Vienna talks. He made a passing reference to Iran’s “peaceful nuclear and satellite technologies” and a declaration that the US had violated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action: “All parties must stay true to the nuclear deal.”

Raisi also ignored Iran’s refusal to renew the inspections agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the IAEA’s statements of concern about Tehran’s restrictions on monitoring. He insisted, “Fifteen reports released by the IAEA have attested to the adherence of Iran to its commitments.”

See also IAEA: Iran Harassed Our Inspectors

UPDATE, SEPT 21:

Iran has rejected nuclear discussions with the 4+1 Powers (UK, France, Germany, China, and Russia) on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this week.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh confirmed on Tuesday that Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian will not meet the group. He said that Abdollahian will instead pursue bilateral discussions with each of the five countries as well as European Union foreign policy head Josep Borrell.

Khatibzadeh said, “Every meeting requires prior coordination and the preparation of an agenda. As previously emphasized, the Vienna talks will resume soon and over the next few weeks.”

The sixth and last round of the Vienna negotiations — covering US re-entry to the 2015 nuclear deal, lifting of American sanctions, and Iranian return to compliance with the provisions — was in June before the managed election of President Ebrahim Raisi.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had indicated on Monday that there would be a ministerial meeting in New York: “We need to take advantage of this week to restart these talks. Iran must accept to return as quickly as possible by appointing its representatives for the negotiations.”

The EU’s Borrell said he will press Amir Abdollahian on Tuesday to pledge an Iranian return to the negotiations as soon as possible: After the elections the new presidency asked for the delay in order to take fully take stock of the negotiations and understand better everything about this very sensitive file. The summer has already passed by and we expect that the talks can be resuming soon in Vienna.”

Last week Iran appointed a new lead for the Vienna talks, Deputy Foreign Minister Amir Baqeri Kani, replacing his predecessor Abbas Araqchi.

Baqeri Kani is considered a hardliner, having belittled and dismissed the 2015 agreement.

The new head of the Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, told Japanese outlet NHK that the US must remove all sanctions for talks to resume.

However, analyst Kian Sharifi cautions that it is the Supreme National Security Council and Foreign Ministry who represent Iran’s official line.

ORIGINAL ENTRY, SEPT 5: President Ebrahim Raisi has continued Iran’s stalling over a resumption of talks about renewal of a 2015 nuclear deal.

In his first State TV interview as President, Raisi said on Saturday that Tehran is ready to resume the discussions over a US return to the agreement, lifting of American sanctions, and Iran’s return to compliance with the provisions. But he continued

The Westerners and the Americans are after talks together with pressure … What kind of talks is that? I have already announced that we will have talks on our government’s agenda but not with…pressure.

After the sixth round of the Vienna talks in June, Iran’s lead negotiator, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the discussions were “closer to the end of the road“.

But Raisi’s managed election intervened days later. Iranian officials soon said there would be no resumption before his Presidential inauguration in early August. Last week, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said it would be “2 to 3 months” before any restart in Vienna.

On Wednesday, both France and Germany called for Iran to return to negotiations; however, Amir Abdollahian rebuffed the call. He chided the Europeans for “inaction” over US sanctions, saying Washington must “understand that we do not surrender to those pressures”.

See also Iran — No Resumption of Nuclear Talks for “2 to 3 Months”

Responding to the Trump Administration’s withdrawal from the deal and then comprehensive US sanctions from November 2018, Iran has broken the 2015 agreement by resuming enrichment of 20% uranium. In April, it began enrichment of 60% uranium for the first time, and it has not renewed an agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency for inspections of facilities.