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Reported JCPOA nuclear talks progress in Vienna — between Iran, E3 countries, Russia and China — is more illusion than reality.

According to an unnamed European source over the weekend:

“We have yet to come to an understanding on the most critical points.” 

“Success is by no means guaranteed, but not impossible.”

On Friday, Biden regime national security advisor Jake Sullivan said talks are in “an unclear place” — implying uncertainty about whether an agreement can be reached.

Last week Blinken’s spokesman Price said the following:

“(W)e are considering removing only those sanctions that are inconsistent with the JCPOA,” adding:

“Even if we rejoin the JCPOA – which remains a hypothetical – we would retain and continue to implement sanctions on Iran for activities not covered by the JCPOA, including Iran’s missile proliferation (sic), support for terrorism (sic), and human rights abuses (sic).”

According to Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday, representatives of participating nations are returning home for consultations, talk to resume on May 7.

Russia’s representative Mikhail Ulyanov said “(w)e have yet to come to an understanding on the most critical points,” adding: 

“We should not expect breakthroughs in the days to come.”

Ulyanov remains optimistic, expecting a successful outcome of talks — despite little evidence that they’ll turn out this way.

Over the weekend, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister/chief JCPOA negotiator Abbas Araqchi said the following:

“Sanctions…on Iran’s energy sector, which include oil and gas, or those on the automotive industry, financial, banking and port sanctions, all should be lifted based on agreements reached so far.”

Since talks began, Araqchi stressed that all US sanctions on Iran since Trump took office must be lifted.

Other Iranian officials stressed the same thing, rejecting the notion of partial lifting alone.

According to Axios.com, Biden told Israel’s Mossad head Yossi Cohen on Friday that “the US has a long way to go in talks with Iran before it agrees a return to full compliance of the 2015 nuclear deal” — citing an unnamed senior Israeli official briefed on their talks.

On Thursday, Blinken met with Mossad’s Cohen and Israel’s US envoy Gilad Erdan.

According to the Times of Israel, Cohen warned that “bad deal will send the region spiraling into war,” adding:

“Anyone seeking short-term benefits should be mindful of the longer term.” 

“Israel will not allow Iran to attain nuclear arms” it doesn’t seek and wants eliminated everywhere — including the Jewish state’s undeclared nuclear arsenal. 

Israeli officials in Washington also said they’ll operate freely as they see fit against Iran.

Last month’s attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility is believed to have been a Netanyahu regime operation.

As for striking Iran militarily, it’s highly unlikely that Israel would go this far without US permission and involvement.

What hasn’t happened is unlikely ahead but clearly possible because of longstanding US plans to transform Iran into a client state.

Separately according to AP News:

“Top Biden (regime) officials and US senators crisscrossed the Middle East on Monday, seeking to assuage growing unease among Gulf Arab partners over America’s re-engagement with Iran and other policy shifts in the region.”

Senator Chris Coons was quoted, saying JCPOA talks continue in Vienna, no imminent deal in the works at this stage.

Since taking office, Biden regime hardliners continued maximum pressure on Iran.

Nothing so far was achieved on rolling back illegally imposed US sanctions.

Indirect US involvement in Vienna talks are unrelated to good faith outreach to Iran.

What hasn’t existed since its liberating 1979 revolution is highly unlikely ahead.

Whatever may be agreed on in Vienna, if anything, will be at risk of unraveling ahead.

By executive order in May 2018, Trump unilaterally abandoned the JCPOA in flagrant violation of international and US constitutional law.

Time and again, the US says one thing, then goes another way. 

Its ruling authorities walked away from numerous international agreements, showing they can never be trusted.

Iran is mindful of all of the above. Its officials know what they’re up against in dealing with the US directly or indirectly like things are proceeding in Vienna.

If anything positive is achieved, the US can reverse it ahead with a stroke of a pen.

As long as Iran remains free from US control, normalizing relations are off the table.

War by other means on nonbelligerent Iran will continue unchanged.

So will the risk of things turning hot because of Washington’s longstanding aim to control the Islamic Republic by whatever it takes to achieve its aim.

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Stephen Lendman is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG).

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home – Stephen Lendman). Contact at [email protected].

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