On Friday, talks between Iran and the world powers in Vienna aimed at salvaging the 2015 nuclear deal adjourned again with parties returning to their respective capitals.
The parties of the negotiations, Iran and P4+1 (China, Russia, France, UK, and Germany), are likely to reconvene after the Christmas holidays, as the latest round of negotiations was called off after the meeting of the joint commission.
After Friday’s meeting, Iran’s lead nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri-Kani told reporters that in the draft document on lifting sanctions, the other side had accepted Iran’s offer as a “basis for serious, result-oriented talks,” different from the text after the sixth round.
He said the pace of reaching an agreement depends on the “will of the other side,” and that the present round of talks could be the last if Europeans accept Iran’s views and positions.
The senior Iranian diplomat said in a statement earlier on Friday that he had met the top European representative Enrique Mora to “take stock of the situation” and “discuss the way forward, “noting “good progress” made this week.
Without saying who asked for it, Kani also said the talks will resume “after a break of a few days” following Friday’s joint commission meeting.
The “technical progress” in the latest round of talks were pointed out by the E3 negotiators (France, the UK, and Germany) and said, “it is critical that Iran avoids further escalatory steps in its nuclear activities.”
They said the talks were paused at the Iranian side’s request, calling the decision “disappointing,” and urging Iran to resume the talks quickly and to “engage constructively.”
Meanwhile, on Friday, Iran’s state-run news agency accused the E3 of playing “a negative and destructive role” in the talks in a bid to “increase their concessions.”
After a five-month hiatus, the seventh round of talks resumed with a new government taking over in Tehran, which has adopted a tougher stance, prioritizing the removal of sanctions over other contentious issues under Ebrahim Raisi.
