Fresh nuclear deal talks to resume in Vienna next week: EU

Holly Johnston

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Discussions on the Iran nuclear deal will resume in Iran next week, the EU said in a statement on Friday.

“Participants agreed to resume this session of the Joint Commission in Vienna next week, in order to clearly identify sanctions lifting and nuclear implementation measures, including through convening meetings of the relevant expert groups.”

Separate conversations will be had with “all JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action] participants and the United States," it added. 

Virtual talks on the deal were held earlier on Friday.

Iran’s Foreign Minister confirmed the talks but shot down the prospect of having direct talks with the US. 

Iran says the aim of the talks is a full lift of sanctions, which will then be followed by Iran ceasing “remedial measures,” tweeted FM Mohammad Javad Zarif. 

 

 

The talks revolve around a potential US return to the landmark nuclear agreement signed in 2015. 

Former US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 and re-imposed crippling sanctions that damaged Iran’s economy, especially its oil industry. Tehran responded by walking back its commitments under the deal, including boosting its enrichment of uranium. US President Joe Biden wants to rejoin the deal, but each side wants the other to take the first step.

“Of course, the new US administration has not done anything serious so far,” Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. “The new US administration speaks of diplomacy in words, but in practice, the same sanctions and pressure of the previous administration still continues.”  

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Washington is in talks on “initial mutual steps” to restore full compliance with the agreement. 

"We are ready to pursue a return to compliance with our JCPOA commitments consistent with Iran also doing the same," Price told reporters on Thursday, according to AFP.

The United States is speaking to partners "about the best way to achieve this, including through a series of initial mutual steps," he added.