Islam Times - Western Politicization Stalls JCPOA Revival: Russian Envoy

Islam Times - The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) remains stalled due to Western politicization, according to Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s envoy to international organizations in Vienna.

Speaking to Tehran Times, Ulyanov cited the West’s failure to address Iran’s legitimate concerns as a key barrier to resuming negotiations.

The JCPOA negotiations, which came to a halt in 2022, were nearing completion when Western countries—namely the United States, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom—stepped away, Ulyanov stated. While Russia, Iran, and China were prepared to finalize the agreement, Western reluctance derailed the process.

“Recently, informal contacts between representatives of Iran with political directors of foreign services of Germany, France and the UK, as well as with representatives of the European External Action Service, that used to play the role of the JCPOA negotiations’ coordinators, have resumed,” Ulyanov said. However, he described the dialogues as preliminary and lacking the structure of formal negotiations. “European countries are not and cannot be a key player in this field. However, the mere fact that the conversation has been resumed, can be assessed positively,” he added.

Reflecting on Russia’s role, Ulyanov underscored its critical contribution during the 2021-2022 negotiations. “At that time, all participants, including Iran, China, the E3, the US, and the EU” acknowledged Russia’s role in proposing compromise solutions that facilitated progress, he noted.

Ulyanov identified the lack of readiness among Western nations as the primary challenge to reviving the agreement, explaining that the Western countries are hindered by their political agendas, failing to consider Iran’s “legitimate suggestions,”. He criticized their actions, particularly “politically inadequate anti-Iranian resolutions” at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, as provocative and counterproductive.

The diplomat affirmed the JCPOA’s past contributions to regional security, especially during its full implementation between 2015 and 2018, prior to the United States’ unilateral withdrawal. “Resuming the JCPOA could significantly restore regional stability,” Ulyanov asserted.

As for potential avenues of cooperation, Ulyanov admitted uncertainty regarding the United States’ future stance. “As of today, nobody has an answer to this question. It is yet unclear what would be the position of the United States, whether it would acknowledge that its withdrawal from the JCPOA and imposition of the ‘maximum pressure’ campaign led to the outcomes directly opposite to what the United States had been counting for. It remains to be seen whether White House is willing to look for a political solution and reasonable balance of interests, without which it would be impossible to expect a positive result. One can probably expect that the situation will become clearer in 2-3 months.,” he said.

Ulyanov noted that clarity might emerge in the coming months but stressed the importance of the October 18, 2025 deadline, marking the expiration of the JCPOA and the timeline set by UN Security Council Resolution 2231.