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Negotiating nuclear deal with Iran: diplomats say time is running out
Photo: HANDOUT / REUTERS
European diplomats speak of a "disappointing pause" and of the fact that the end of the road is quickly being approached: the negotiations on a nuclear deal with Iran have been interrupted.
The Iranian representatives want to use the break to discuss the status of the talks at home.
The most recent round of deliberations was marked by tension over new demands from Tehran.
This is one of the reasons why the EU chief negotiator, Enrique Mora, is closing the time window to save the nuclear deal.
"We don't have months, just weeks for an agreement," he said in Vienna.
He hoped that negotiations would start again this year.
A possible date for this is December 27th.
Mora is coordinating the talks between Iran and the USA, in which Germany, France, Great Britain, Russia and China act as mediators.
Negotiations are under way to see how Washington can lift its sanctions against the Islamic Republic, while Tehran cuts its nuclear program again to prevent the development of nuclear weapons.
The United States withdrew from the pact in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump and revived sanctions that seriously damaged the Iranian economy.
Tehran then expanded its nuclear facilities, produced almost weapons-grade uranium and restricted international inspections.
Since the arch-conservative Ebrahim Raisi became president in Iran, the Islamic Republic has been pushing ahead with its nuclear program.
According to European diplomats, the nuclear pact to prevent Iranian nuclear weapons could therefore become worthless in just a few weeks.
Talks had resumed months later
According to European negotiators, the talks in Vienna only brought some technical progress, but no further approximation.
"We hope that Iran will soon be able to return to the talks and contribute constructively so that we can then make faster progress in the talks," said European diplomatic circles.
Negotiations were resumed at the end of November after a long break.
New Iranian negotiators for President Raisi, who has been in office since August, came to Vienna.
Among other things, they called for sanctions to fall before taking action.
The other countries want simultaneous or phased steps from Washington and Tehran.
ulz / dpa / Reuters
