Lawrence Norman
WSJ, Feb. 27, 2022
“The war likely gives Iran a stronger hand in the negotiations—and that raises the risk Tehran will overplay it,”
Iranian and U.S. officials are entering a crucial week of negotiations to restore the 2015 nuclear deal, with significant differences remaining on several key issues and new concerns that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could complicate the talks.
Iran’s chief negotiator, Ali Bagheri-Kani, arrived in Vienna Monday morning with positions that could prove difficult to bridge with his Western counterparts, diplomats said. With Iran continuing to expand its nuclear work, Western diplomats have warned that the negotiations could collapse if a deal isn’t reached this week.
American and Iranian officials say the differences include the scope of American sanctions relief, continued Iranian demands that the U.S. provide stronger guarantees that it won’t again exit the deal and the U.S. push to ensure that a prisoner swap occurs alongside restoring the nuclear pact.
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