A top Iranian security official on Wednesday blamed "deceptive strategy" by the West for holding up any revival of nuclear talks, not "tactical problems" and Iran's domestic politics as stated by France's foreign minister.
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France, along with Britain, Germany and the European Union, were striving to bring the United States and Iran to the table for informal talks as a first step toward reviving Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal, which lifted international sanctions on the Islamic republic in exchange for curbs to its nuclear program.
"There is a tactical problem and also an internal [issue] in Iran, which is in a particular situation because we are quite close to [its] presidential election in June," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told a French Senate hearing on Tuesday.
Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, hit back on Twitter: "Nothing will happen unless the #UnitedStates takes effective actions to lift the oppressive #sanctions."
"The current stalemate is not tactical and domestic, but related to the West's deceptive strategy," Shamkhani said, without mentioning Le Drian.
Le Drian did not say what the tactical problem was, but added that while there was a stated will to return to talks, tensions prevailed and it was urgent to calm the situation and move forward.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday accused his hard-line opponents of obstructing efforts to lift the US sanctions.
"It is a great betrayal of the Iranian nation if any faction or person delays the end of the sanctions even for one hour," Rouhani said in televised remarks.
"The small minority that is obstructing this path needs to stop its destructive act. If it stops … the government can break the sanctions," Rouhani added without elaborating.
"Today, conditions are better than ever for the lifting of the sanctions," Rouhani continued. The Americans, he said, are willing to return to the deal. However, he added: "Words are not enough. We are waiting for action."
Rouhani's close ally, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, said this week that unless progress is made soon on restoring the nuclear deal, diplomacy would be halted for months by Iran's presidential election scheduled for June 18.
Iran began breaching the deal's limits on uranium enrichment activity in 2019 in response to a US withdrawal from the deal and reimposition of US economic sanctions ordered by then-US President Donald Trump, who opposed the agreement.
Iran has recently accelerated its breaches in an apparent bid to pressure US President Joe Biden with both sides in a standoff over who should move first to save the deal.
Both sides thus far appear unwilling to compromise. The Iranian New Year this week and the campaign ahead of presidential elections in June in Iran are also likely to complicate matters.
Tehran has ruled out broadening nuclear talks to other subjects such as its ballistic missile program, as called for by Washington.
Rouhani is barred from standing for a third term and the slate of candidates has yet to be finalized.
Iran's hardliners say US sanctions are proof that Rouhani's policy of reaching out to enemies was a failure. A delay in progress on the nuclear issue could hurt the chances of a moderate succeeding Rouhani, although the final decision on any diplomatic initiative would be taken by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rather than the elected president.
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