TEHRAN – Declaring now is not the time to threaten Iran with greater pressure, Russian representative at the Vienna talks Mikhail Ulyanov said that all countries, including Iran and the United States United, awaited the reestablishment of the agreement.

Rejecting the setting of certain deadlines for the Vienna talks, Ulyanov said in an interview with Foreign Policy: “This sense of urgency is a bit exaggerated. Yes, it is urgent, but let’s be careful; [not] set artificial deadlines.

“Frankly, I’m pretty optimistic at this point. I see no objective reason to be skeptical, ”Ulyanov noted.

“I cannot guarantee that an agreement will be reached, but I think the chances are very, very high because the main precondition for success is already there,” added the Russian envoy. “All countries, all participants, including Iran and the United States, are waiting for the reinstatement of the nuclear deal.”

Ulyanov said China and Russia persuaded Iran to withdraw from some of its maximalist positions, including its insistence that the talks focus only on sanctions, not on the nuclear issue. In the end, he said, the Iranians agreed to start negotiations on the basis of a plan drawn up by the previous Iranian government.

The Russian envoy to the Vienna talks went on to say that now is not the time to threaten Iran with more pressure, saying: “Even if they produce a significant amount of nuclear material, so what. It cannot be used without a warhead, and the Iranians don’t have warheads.

Iran and the five remaining JCOA signatories have started a new round of talks in the Austrian capital of Vienna with a focus on removing all sanctions imposed on Tehran following Washington’s unilateral withdrawal from the deal and Iran’s nuclear measures.

Representatives of Iran and the P4 + 1 group of countries began the eighth round of talks on Monday. The first round of talks under new Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi ended 10 days ago.

The Vienna talks resumed on November 29 after a five-month hiatus, marking the first round of negotiations under Raisi’s administration.

Iran and the P4 + 1 group of countries met for talks in the Austrian capital on December 9 after the talks adjourned on December 3. Participants returned to their capitals for further consultations on the two draft proposals presented by Tehran.

During the 7th round, Iran’s new administration presented two separate proposals on lifting US sanctions and returning Iran to its nuclear commitments under the JCPOA.