Despite Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s campaign promises to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, Germany has confirmed that Iran has not formally requested the resumption of nuclear negotiations.
Pezeshkian had pledged to engage with Western powers to restore the agreement and lift the crippling sanctions imposed after the US withdrawal from the deal in 2018.
In a statement to Iran International, a German Federal Foreign Office spokesperson said, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has not formally requested the German government to resume JCPOA negotiations.”
On September 15, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced in an interview that Iran will move forward with talks with European nations without waiting for the United States to initiate negotiations. “It is true that some parts of the JCPOA are no longer beneficial for us and some aspects are obsolete, but I believe it remains a framework that can lead to an agreement,” Araghchi added.
Despite these statements indicating a possible willingness to engage, the German government remains cautious, stressing the need for concrete actions from Tehran to address international concerns over its nuclear program.
"We have carefully listened to Iran’s recent announcements and have always stated that Germany remains committed to diplomacy to address the serious international concerns about Iran’s nuclear program."
Germany emphasized that future diplomatic efforts must take into account Iran’s recent nuclear advancements, which have escalated over the past few years. "It is up to Iran to demonstrate by its behavior, in particular by exercising restraint and ending the current escalation, that the stated readiness for a diplomatic solution is genuine and there is real political will to resolve outstanding questions," the spokesperson said.
"Iran’s non-compliance for several years has hollowed out the JCPOA," the German spokesperson continued. They further noted that any new diplomatic effort will need to address the "massive expansion of Iran’s nuclear activities."
Earlier this month, US Ambassador Laura S.H. Holgate told the IAEA Board of Governors that “Iran continues to move further in the wrong direction. Iran continues to expand its nuclear program, to install additional advanced centrifuge cascades, and to produce highly enriched uranium for which it has no credible peaceful purpose.”
Moreover, according to a recent report by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) Iran has increased its activities at two nuclear sites that were key to its early nuclear weapons program two decades ago.
Reviving the JCPOA also requires the green light from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who holds the utmost power in the country. However, in July this year, Khamenei defended a 2020 parliamentary bill that accelerated Iran’s nuclear program in response to foreign pressure. This legislation played a significant role in obstructing efforts to restore the JCPOA, signaling Khamenei’s reluctance to compromise despite international diplomatic efforts, adding another layer of complexity to the potential revival of the nuclear deal.