Business & Economy

Iran, world powers begin new round of nuclear talks

Vienna, Apr 27 (EFE).- Iran and the world’s leading powers on Tuesday began a new round of negotiations, aimed at salvaging the 2015 nuclear agreement that restricts the Islamic republic’s nuclear program.

Delegations from Iran, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China and Germany held meetings in the Austrian capital, continuing the talks that kicked off on April 2, with the United States taking part indirectly through mediators.

Last week, Josep Borrell, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the talks were making progress, adding that parties were showing a willingness to salvage the deal.

Iran announced earlier this month it started boosting uranium enrichment levels to 60 percent in response to a sabotage attack on the Natanz nuclear plant. The minimum needed for a nuclear weapon is 90 percent.

Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed to limit uranium enrichment to 3.67 in return for a lifting of sanctions.

Tehran started to violate the accord in 2019, a year after then US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA and embarked on a campaign of “maximum pressure” by escalating sanctions against Iran.

The other signatories to the 2015 pact wanted to preserve the JCPOA, but Washington’s threats of imposing secondary sanctions on entities doing business with Iran blocked those efforts. EFE

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