Nuclear talks between Iran and world powers to resume within a few weeks

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the UN General Assembly in New York.

European External Action Service (EEAS) Deputy Secretary General Enrique Mora and Iranian Deputy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi wait for the start of a meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission in Vienna, Austria April 6, 2021 (photo credit: EU DELEGATION IN VIENNA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)
European External Action Service (EEAS) Deputy Secretary General Enrique Mora and Iranian Deputy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi wait for the start of a meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission in Vienna, Austria April 6, 2021
(photo credit: EU DELEGATION IN VIENNA/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)

Iran said on Tuesday that talks with world powers over reviving its 2015 nuclear deal would resume in a few weeks, the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported.

"Every meeting requires prior coordination and the preparation of an agenda. As previously emphasized, the Vienna talks will resume soon and over the next few weeks," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said, according to IRNA.

The report came soon after the UK Foreign Office said earlier on Tuesday that Britain and the United States agreed on the need for Iran to return to negotiations in Vienna on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the UN General Assembly in New York and held discussions on Iran, Afghanistan and the trilateral security partnership between the US, Australia and the UK.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters ministers from Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia will not meet with Iran at the United Nations this week to discuss a return to nuclear deal talks.

The world powers held six rounds of indirect talks between the United States and Iran in Vienna to try and work out how both can return to compliance with the nuclear pact, which was abandoned by former US President Donald Trump in 2018.

Trump reimposed harsh sanctions on Iran, which then started breaching curbs on its nuclear program. Tehran has said its nuclear program is for peaceful energy purposes only.

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump ends the JCPOA.  (credit: REUTERS)
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump ends the JCPOA. (credit: REUTERS)

Last week, Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Israel could accept a return to a US-brokered Iran nuclear deal, but they are calling on Washington to have a demonstration of power ready should negotiations turn sour.

“The current US approach of putting the Iran nuclear program back in a box, I’d accept that,” Gantz said, referring to US President Joe Biden's efforts, but added that he wants the US to have a plan B with economic sanctions, and referred to Israel's plan C, which involves a military response.