What Was Achieved in Vienna

-Iran’s nuclear issue and the ongoing negotiations must be carefully studied without considering the appearance.

-The differences between Iran and the P5+1 regarding the nuclear issue have not been created within one day or one year, thus, they cannot be resolved easily. These differences are rooted in the mistrust between both sides.

-The differences between Iran and the western countries regarding Iran’s nuclear activities are not similar to border and territorial issues whose resolution could be achieved within several rounds of negotiations and with the mediation of certain countries.

-The Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear issue which has now become one of the great problems of the international system is caused by mistrust created from the beginning of the Islamic Revolution and this mistrust has increased during the past 36 years.

-During the last year, Iran and the P5+1 have made great efforts to revive the lost trust and they have succeeded to gain some progress in these negotiations.

-In the last negotiations between Iran and the P5+1, an agreement could have been reached, but Iran has drawn certain red lines for itself and the US did not have enough power to decide about the nuclear issue.

-That is why both sides preferred to pursue a phase agreement so that, by reaching a political agreement in the first stage and gaining mutual trust and then a comprehensive agreement, they could prepare the ground for a complete resolution of the nuclear issue.

-Both parties have proposed new ideas for mutual trust in the last round of negotiations and have given each other time to study these plans.

-Iran and the P5+1 have reached a point of no return and they must pursue the path which has, hitherto, been taken until they reach a final and comprehensive agreement. This is the biggest achievement of last year’s negotiations.

-The concern of Iran’s rivals about the progress of negotiations and the increase of their efforts to cause these negotiations to fail indicate that achievements have been made.

-One must review the attitude of the international scene with regard to Iran during the past few years in order to understand last year’s political achievements.

-In the past, relations between Iran and the US were at the climax of hostility and the two countries had indirect contacts but the taboo of direct negotiations is broken now and the two countries have been able to reduce the ruling hostility.

-In the beginning of the Obama presidency, the US Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense visited the region to unite the regional countries against Iran. But now and after one year of negotiations, the US exerts pressure on Saudi Arabia to improve its relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

-Therefore, based on the statement made by Dr. Zarif, the political achievement of this one-year negotiation between Iran and the P5+1 is the failure of the Iranophobia project led by the US in the region and the world.