Talks to revive Iran nuclear deal resume in Vienna

Vienna, Nov 29 (EFE).- Negotiations to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal resumed in Vienna on Monday amid low expectations of a breakthrough.

Representatives of the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia and Germany are returning to the Austrian capital five months after the last round of talks on the landmark agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The United States is participating indirectly in the talks because Iran refuses to sit down with the former at the same table.

“Back in Vienna for 7th round of talks to bring JCPOA back on track,” Enrique Mora, the European Union’s lead negotiator on the Iranian nuclear deal, wrote on Twitter.

Mora said he met with Iran’s foreign minister Ali Bagheri Kani Sunday, as well as high-ranking diplomats from China and Russia.

“This morning I will also meet with European and US colleagues ahead of the Joint Commission in the afternoon,” he added.

The accord reached with the world powers in 2015 restricted the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program in exchange for the partial lifting Western sanctions.

But the administration of former US president Donald Trump pulled out of the agreement in 2018 and re-imposed a series of sanctions on Iran.

Tehran then violated its commitments by limiting inspections and enriching, according to experts, near-weapons-grade uranium.

Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency warned that Iran was blocking the watchdog’s inspection work and that the country had a stockpile of 17.7 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60%, 7.7kg more than the amount permitted under the accord.