Iran nuclear talks show increasing hopes of a resolution
World powers have met in Vienna for a new round of high-level talks on bringing the United States back into the nuclear deal with Iran amid growing hopes that an agreement might soon be within reach
May 19, 2021, 4:02 PM
5 min read
Share to FacebookShare to TwitterEmail this articleDeputy Secretary General and Political Director of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Enrique Mora, addresses the media as he leaves the 'Grand Hotel Wien' where closed-door nuclear talks with Iran took place in Vienna, Austria, Wednesday, May 19, 2021. World powers have held a fourth round of high-level talks aimed at bringing the United States back into a landmark nuclear deal with Iran. Both sides suggested a resolution was possible but major stumbling blocks remain. (AP Photo/Lisa Leutner)
VIENNA -- World powers met Wednesday for a new round of high-level talks on bringing the United States back into the nuclear deal with Iran amid growing hopes that an agreement might soon be within reach.
Enrique Mora, the European Union official who chaired the talks between Russia, China, Germany, France, Britain and Iran told reporters “we have made substantial progress” though there were “still things to be worked out.”
“I will not venture a date because you never know, but I'm quite sure there will be a final agreement,” he said.
The nations have been trying to resolve the major outstanding issues on how to return the U.S. into the landmark agreement, which then President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of unilaterally in 2018.
Russian delegate Mikhail Ulyanov tweeted after the talks that participants had “noted that ‘good’ or ‘significant’ progress was made and that an agreement was ‘within reach.’”
Before the talks, Iran's delegate, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, said there had been good progress, but that several key issues needed further assessment and would be brought back by the diplomats for discussion with their governments at home.
The sides agreed to reconvene the talks in Vienna next week.
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters in Berlin that there had been “concrete results” that he wouldn't detail in public, but which gave him hope for a resolution soon.
“I cannot predict how it will end up, because ultimately the results of the negotiations will be assessed again in the respective capitals and then approved or not,” he said. “But our goal is to achieve a result in the negotiations in the next two weeks and thus create the conditions for the U.S. to return to this agreement.”
The U.S. hasn't been represented directly at the talks, which started in early April, but does have a delegation in Vienna and representatives from the other countries have been shuttling between it and the Iranian side.
The 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, promises Iran economic incentives in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.
The ultimate goal is to prevent Iran from obtaining an atomic bomb, which it insists it doesn't want to do. Trump pulled out in 2018 saying it wasn't broad enough in scope and needed to be renegotiated.
He embarked upon a campaign of “maximum pressure” aimed at bringing Iran back to the negotiating table, reimposing sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy.
Iran has refused to engage in any direct talks with the U.S., however, and has instead been steadily violating the restrictions of the JCPOA, like enriching uranium to a greater purity than permitted, stockpiling more enriched uranium than allowed and using more advanced centrifuges, to try and pressure the other powers for economic relief.
U.S. President Joe Biden says he wants to rejoin the deal, but that Iran needs to return to full compliance.
Iran has said it's willing to roll back all violations, but has insisted that Washington must drop all sanctions imposed by Trump, including ones put in place for reasons other than its nuclear program.
