Iran will only verify compliance once sanctions relief has practical effect
In Vienna, the United States and Iran are once again attempting to reassemble a diplomatic architecture that collapsed under the weight of mistrust and maximum pressure. The two nations — unable even to sit in the same room — are negotiating through European intermediaries toward a restoration of the 2015 nuclear accord, with Iran insisting that every sanction imposed since 2016 must fall before it will take a single step back toward compliance. This moment reflects a recurring tension in international affairs: whether nations can rebuild trust incrementally, or whether each side must first see proof that the other's promises are real.
- Iran is not merely asking for sanctions relief — it is demanding that relief be felt in oil markets and bank accounts before it will move an inch toward nuclear compliance.
- The two delegations cannot share a room, communicating only through European go-betweens, a structural reminder of how deep the rupture between Washington and Tehran runs.
- Iran's parliament-mandated escalation to 20 percent uranium enrichment has raised the stakes, giving Tehran leverage but also narrowing the window for a clean return to the original deal's terms.
- The Biden administration's attempt to distinguish between nuclear and non-nuclear sanctions is a red line for Tehran, threatening to collapse the fragile momentum before it can solidify.
- Russian and Chinese optimism and carefully worded joint commission language suggest movement, but the core disagreement — how much Washington will concede — remains stubbornly unresolved heading into next week's talks.
Nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran are moving again, though the road remains narrow. Following what both sides called a breakthrough on Tuesday, delegations will reconvene in Vienna next week to work toward restoring the 2015 nuclear accord — a deal the Trump administration abandoned in 2018 and that has been fraying ever since.
The talks carry an unusual architecture: American and Iranian officials are not meeting directly, but communicating through European intermediaries on the joint commission that oversees the deal. The arrangement speaks to the profound mistrust between the two governments even as both signal a willingness to engage. Full deputy-level discussions are set to resume Wednesday, with technical experts working in parallel.
The central dispute is clear in outline but treacherous in detail. Iran insists that every sanction imposed since 2016 — not just those tied to nuclear activity, but those Washington labels as human rights or terrorism-related — must be lifted before Tehran will return to compliance. Iran's deputy foreign minister made plain that any American attempt to distinguish between categories of sanctions is unacceptable. And Iranian officials have defined what real relief looks like: the ability to export oil under concluded contracts and to move money through international banking channels.
This demand mirrors Iran's nuclear posture. After the US withdrawal in 2018, Iran began walking back its own commitments. Following a parliamentary law last December, it began enriching uranium to 20 percent purity — far above the 3.67 percent ceiling set by the original accord. Iranian officials have consistently framed these steps as reversible, but only once sanctions relief proves genuine and durable.
Russian and Chinese representatives expressed optimism, and the joint commission issued language pointing to 'constructive and results-oriented exchanges.' The diplomatic phrasing was carefully opaque, but it gestured toward motion rather than stalemate. Whether that motion can survive next week's harder conversations — about what Washington is truly willing to concede — remains the defining question.
The nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran are moving forward again, though the path ahead remains narrow and contested. After what both sides described as a breakthrough agreement on Tuesday, delegations will reconvene next week to continue hammering out the terms under which each nation might return to the 2015 nuclear accord—a deal the Trump administration abandoned in 2018 and that has been slowly unraveling ever since.
The talks are happening in Vienna, but not in the way one might imagine. American and Iranian officials are not sitting across from each other. Instead, the United States is communicating through intermediaries, primarily European members of the joint commission that oversees the deal. This indirect arrangement reflects the deep mistrust between Washington and Tehran, even as both sides signal willingness to negotiate. Full-scale discussions at the deputy foreign minister level will resume on Wednesday, with technical experts continuing to work through details in the meantime.
The central sticking point is straightforward in principle but complex in practice: Iran wants every sanction the United States imposed since 2016 removed—not just those tied to nuclear activity, but also those Washington has classified as relating to human rights and terrorism. The Trump administration had layered sanctions upon sanctions, creating what officials described as a wall of restrictions designed to cripple Iran's economy. The Biden administration has suggested it might distinguish between nuclear-related sanctions it would lift and others it might retain. Iran's deputy foreign minister, Seyed Araghchi, made clear on Friday that this distinction is unacceptable. "Lifting all US sanctions imposed under the previous US president is a necessary step," he said, adding that Iran would only verify compliance and return to full implementation of the deal once it was satisfied the sanctions had actually been removed and were having a practical effect on its ability to do business.
What does practical effect mean? Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Kazem Gharibabadi, spelled it out: the ability to conclude oil contracts and export petroleum, and the capacity to conduct financial transactions through banking channels. These are not abstract demands. Iran's oil exports have been strangled by sanctions, and its access to the global financial system has been severely restricted. Without a clear path to restoring these capabilities, Iranian officials have signaled there is little point in continuing the talks.
The nuclear compliance issue itself is a mirror of this larger standoff. After the United States withdrew from the deal in 2018, Iran began scaling back its adherence to the agreement's restrictions. Last December, following a law passed by Iran's parliament, the government began producing and storing uranium enriched to 20 percent purity—well above the 3.67 percent limit set by the original accord. Iran has repeatedly said these measures are reversible, contingent on Washington lifting sanctions. The implication is clear: Iran is willing to walk back its nuclear escalation, but only if it sees concrete evidence that the sanctions relief is real and durable.
Russian and Chinese ambassadors present at the talks expressed optimism about the progress made and emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum. The joint commission issued a carefully worded statement noting that participants had discussed "modalities to ensure the return to its full and effective implementation" and that expert groups working on sanctions lifting and nuclear measures had engaged in "constructive and results-oriented exchanges." The language was opaque, as such diplomatic statements often are, but it suggested movement rather than deadlock.
What happens next week will test whether that movement can be sustained. The fundamental disagreement—whether the United States will lift all sanctions or only some—remains unresolved. Iran has made clear it will not take steps to return to compliance until it is convinced the sanctions relief is genuine and will have tangible economic impact. The Americans, for their part, are still working through what they are willing to concede. The next round of talks will show whether either side is prepared to move significantly from its current position.
Citações Notáveis
Lifting all US sanctions imposed under the previous US president is a necessary step in reviving the joint comprehensive plan of action, and only after verifying the lifting of those sanctions Iran will be ready to stop its remedial actions and return to full implementation of the deal.— Seyed Araghchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister
The Islamic Republic should be able to conclude its oil contracts and export its oil. Or in the banking sector, it can perform its financial transactions through various financial channels.— Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why are the US and Iran not talking directly if they're trying to revive a deal?
Because the trust is gone. Direct talks would require both sides to sit in a room together, and neither is ready for that yet. Using European intermediaries lets them negotiate without the symbolic weight of a face-to-face meeting.
So Iran wants all sanctions lifted. What's the US hesitant about?
The Trump administration imposed sanctions for different reasons—some tied to the nuclear program, others to human rights or terrorism designations. The US has historically wanted to keep those non-nuclear sanctions in place even if it rejoins the deal. Iran sees that as a trap.
What does Iran actually need to happen before it trusts the sanctions are really gone?
It needs to be able to sell oil again and move money through banks. Those are the tests. If Iran can export oil and conduct financial transactions, it knows the sanctions have teeth lifted. Until then, it's just words.
Why did Iran start enriching uranium to 20 percent if it wanted to negotiate?
It was leverage. After Trump left the deal, Iran escalated to show it could walk away from the agreement too. But it's also a signal—Iran is saying, we'll reverse this the moment you prove sanctions are actually gone.
Is there a real chance this works?
There's momentum, but the gap is still wide. Both sides are testing each other. The next week will show if either is willing to move toward the middle or if they're just going through the motions.