Iran puts nuclear talks on hold again
Iran's chief negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, has announced that ongoing nuclear talks in Vienna will be paused for a "few days" after meeting with the EU’s political director to “take stock” of negotiations.
In a statement posted on his Twitter account on Friday, Bagheri Kani acknowledged that “good progress” has been made during the seventh round of indirect talks between the US and Iran over reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.
The pause follows a meeting between Bagheri Kani and European Union political director Enrique Mora on Thursday, where the two discussed how “to take stock of the situation” and move “forward.”
The Joint Commission conducting the negotiations will meet today before breaking for several days, with a view to resuming talks in the near future. Today’s meeting is expected to just be used to formally adjourn discussions to a later date.
Bagheri Kani did not specify exactly when the negotiations would reconvene. However, Reuters cited three diplomats who claimed talks would restart on December 27, with another suggesting they could take place again between Christmas and New Year.
Negotiations have been ongoing at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna, as parties seek to revive the nuclear deal that was thrown into chaos by America’s 2018 withdrawal under the Trump administration.Iran has repeatedly warned that the only way to return to the nuclear deal is for the US to first withdraw all sanctions that have been imposed since 2018, something America has so far resisted.
While the nuclear deal negotiations are still ongoing, progress was made in December when Iran agreed with the IAEA to replace surveillance cameras at its centrifuge workshop in the TESA Karaj complex. The cameras allow the agency to monitor Iran’s nuclear activity, ensuring it is in compliance with existing agreements.
