“Intense” Negotiations For US’ Return To The 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal Begin In Vienna

Amid Germany's push for rapid progress in what European Union (EU) has called 'intense' negotiations, the indirect talks between the Iranian Republic and the United States (US) have resumed in Vienna regarding the 2015 nuclear deal which was abandoned by former Trump administration in the US, reports Livemint.

The sixth round of parleys is taking place in the basement of a luxury hotel in Vienna with Iran, Russia, China, France, the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, and the EU partaking in the meetings. Meanwhile, the US delegation is based in a hotel across the street given Iran's reluctance to holding face-to-face meetings with the US.

Chief coordinator for the talks, EU foreign policy official Enrique Mora is presently leading the shuttle diplomacy between Iran and the US regarding a deal to reinstate the Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Mora has said that he expects a deal in the ongoing round of talks. However, other envoys are said to be more cautious given multiples issues that are yet to be resolved.

"We are making progress but the negotiations are intense and a number of issues (remain), including on how steps are to be implemented," an EU spokesman said in a statement. The spokesperson added that the aim was "to find ways to get very close to a final agreement in the coming days".

The Trump administration had pulled out of the JCPOA in 2018 and hit Iran with a stream of economic sanctions. The JCPOA imposed strict limits on Iran's nuclear activities. Following the Trump administration's action, Iran retaliated by breaching many of those limits, producing more enriched uranium than allowed and enriching to higher purity levels, recently to near weapons-grade.