Diplomats from France, Britain, Germany, Russia, and China are taking part in indirect talks between the United States and Iran. Iran is not ready for direct talks with the United States in this regard.
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| US State Department building on August 6, 2021, Washington DC (File photo: AFP) |
According to a statement issued by the US State Department today, European countries agree that a deal with Iran is still possible, but that time is running out.
According to Reuters, a senior State Department official said there was little time left to restore the nuclear deal.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blanken held decisive talks with European foreign ministers on Saturday to push ahead with talks with Iran over its nuclear program.
The latest talks took place on the last day of a three-day meeting of G7 foreign ministers in the northern British city of Liverpool. Iran will be jointly urged to limit its nuclear ambitions and seize the opportunity of talks in Vienna, the Austrian capital.
Negotiations between the world powers and Iran over the resumption of the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, resumed last week.
The agreement was reached in 2015 with the aim of limiting Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions. The deal expired after the US seceded in 2018, and Iran began enriching uranium beyond the limits set by the JCPOA.
A European source says work is underway on the text of the agreement, which was discussed five months ago in the latest round of negotiations, while Iranian officials say they have been taking a hard line since last week.
Indirect talks between the United States and Iran, involving diplomats from France, Britain, Germany, Russia, and China, are aimed at bringing the two sides back to full implementation of the nuclear deal. Iran is not ready for direct talks with the United States in this regard
In this regard, the US State Department said on Saturday that Secretary of State Blanken had constructive talks in Liverpool with the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
On the other hand, Iranian President Ibrahim Raeisi insisted on Saturday that Iran wants the resumption of the nuclear deal in the talks in the Austrian capital. According to Raeesi:
The fact that we have presented the text of Iran’s proposal to the negotiating parties shows that we are serious about negotiations and if the other party is also serious about lifting the sanctions then we Will make a good deal. We definitely want a good deal.
European and US officials say Iran is now making new demands and deviating from agreements reached earlier this year.
