Iran says it is responding to EU proposal to revive nuclear deal

TEHRAN, Iran (AA) – Indicating that the next round of talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal could come soon, Iran’s lead negotiator has said that his country seeks a “swift conclusion” to the negotiations.

Ali Bagheri, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, took to Twitter to announce that Tehran has responded to European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s new proposal to end the deadlock.

“We shared our proposed ideas, both on substance and form, to pave the way for a swift conclusion of Vienna negotiations,” Bagheri tweeted.

Last week, Borrell had said that he had proposed a new draft text to Iran to revitalize the accord which the US unilaterally left in May 2018.

Iran’s lead negotiator also asserted that Tehran is working closely with other signatories as well as Borrell “to give another chance to the US to demonstrate good faith and act responsibly.”

However, Bagheri did not specify the exact date for the resumption of talks.

The negotiations between Iran and world powers have been underway in the Austrian capital since last year, with a series of interruptions caused by key disagreements between Tehran and Washington.

Tensions between Tehran and Washington have only heightened after US President Joe Biden’s high-profile Middle East tour, where he signed two strong anti-Iran resolutions in Jerusalem and Jeddah respectively, which drew sharp reaction from Tehran.

Bagheri’s statement on Sunday came hours after he met members of the Iranian Parliament’s foreign policy and internal security committee, with JCPOA talks topping the agenda.

A senior lawmaker, Abolfazl Amouei, cited the issues that have posed obstacles in reaching a resolution so far. These include the lifting of sanctions, guarantees that sanctions won’t be reinstated by the future US administration, technical cooperation between Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog, and the removal of trade barriers.