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Talks to revive Iran nuclear deal resume quietly in Vienna after 10-day break

Talks to revive Iran nuclear deal resume quietly in Vienna after 10-day break
Talks to revive a nuclear deal between Iran and Western states, which were halted at the end of last month, resumed in Vienna on Tuesday.
2 min read
08 February, 2022
'A deal that addresses all sides' core concerns is in sight,' said a US State Department spokesperson on Monday [source: Getty]

Indirect talks between Iran and the United States onwith world powers resumed on Tuesday after a 10-day break, but envoys gave little away as to whether they were closer to

Delegates say the talks have made limited progress since they resumed in November after a five-month hiatus prompted by the election of

Negotiations accelerated last month but a number of vital issues remain unresolved and Western powers say Ìýbefore Iran's nuclear advances make the 2015 deal restricting them redundant. Envoys went home 10 days ago seeking decisionsÌýfrom their political bosses to hurry things along.

As officials from Iran, the Russia, China, France, Germany, Britain and the European Union began meeting in various formats on Tuesday, it was not immediately clear how much progress had been enabled by any political decisions.

The talks' coordinator, Enrique Mora, declined to comment to reporters as he crossed the road between two luxury hotels hosting negotiations on a blustery day in Vienna, where the negotiations began 10 months ago. Hours later Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, arrived for talks.

"After a short break, 8th round of #ViennaTalks is resumed," Iran's mission to the United Nations in Vienna said on Twitter, with a picture of Bagheri Kani meeting Mora.

The 2015 deal imposed restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities that extended the time Tehran would need to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb, if it chose to, to at least a year from around two to three months. Most experts say that time is now shorter than when the deal was struck.

Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons.

Then-President pulled the United States out of the deal in 2018, re-imposing punishing USÌýsanctions on Iran's economy that slashed its vital oil exports.

Iran responded by breaching many of the deal's restrictions and pushing well beyond them, enriching uranium to close to weapons grade and using advanced centrifuges to do it, which has helped it hone its skills in operating those machines.

Iran insisted that since the United States pulled out of the deal, it is up to to make the first move by agreeing to lift sanctions and guarantee it will not withdraw again. Western officials say they are seeking a solution where both sides act in a coordinated manner.Ìý

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