Iran's top security official says Tehran’s “peaceful” nuclear capabilities must always remain like “sword of Damocles” above the heads of the violators of the JCPOA.

The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, made the remarks on Tuesday as top diplomats engaged in the Vienna talks say the negotiations are nearing the finish line.

“Peaceful capability of Iran's nuclear program must always remain like the sword of Damocles above the heads of violators as a real guarantee for fulfillment of their obligations”, Shamkhani tweeted.

“After US withdrawal from JCPOA in 2018, it was better to use this inherent guarantee more effectively”, he added in a tweet.

Shamkhani’s contradictory remark about “peaceful capability” and a “sword” might be referring to Iran’s advanced knowledge of uranium enrichment and its possession of thousands of enrichment machines called centrifuges.

It is not clear if the imminent agreement in Vienna would address Iran’s enrichment infrastructure and the stockpile of refined fissile materials it has built ap in over a year.

Shamkhani has been sounding negative about the negotiations in recent days and insisting on the removal of all sanctions imposed since 2018 when former US president Donald Trump left the JCPOA.

Last week, he said the United States and its European allies have failed to live up to their commitments under the 2015 deal, rendering the JCPOA an empty shell, noting that Iran has not reaped any economic benefit from the agreement.