On Friday, the latest round of talks between Iran and other parties to the 2015 nuclear deal in Vienna ended without any significant breakthrough. The parties to the deal are expected to reconvene next week after holding consultations in their respective capitals.
The decision was taken after a meeting of the joint commission of the nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in the afternoon.
Other parties, most notably the Europeans, felt the need to hold consultations with their capitals before taking a call on Iran’s draft proposals, Iran’s lead negotiator, Ali Bagheri-Kani, told reporters after the meeting, stressing that its two proposals on the lifting of sanctions and the implementation of nuclear commitments were on the table.
After four days of intense deliberations marked by tensions, the proposals were submitted by the Iranian delegation on Thursday.
On the same day, Bagheri remarked that the European parties need to “study” the two draft proposals and return for “serious discussions.”
Talks on the JCPOA resumed on Monday after a five-month hiatus, which was caused by the presidential election in Iran that led to a change of power under new President Ebrahim Raisi.
Three years after Iran and the world powers signed the landmark agreement, the former US administration under Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in May 2018, which was followed by a reinstatement of sanctions on Tehran.
A series of measures were taken up by Iran to scale up its nuclear activities since May 2019, with enrichment surging from 4.5 percent to 60 percent, raising eyebrows in the West.
While Israel has warned against continuing with any talks with Iran, the US has threatened to explore “other options” if Vienna talks do not produce an outcome.
