Iran
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Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, said on Saturday that US officials tried to discuss restarting nuclear talks last month, but he insisted Washington must first release $10 billion of Tehran's frozen funds as a sign of good will, Reuters reported.

The United States used intermediaries at the United Nations last month to attempt to make contact, the Foreign Minister told state television.

"The Americans tried to contact us through different channels (at the UN General Assembly) in New York, and I told the mediators if America's intentions are serious then a serious indication was needed ... by releasing at least $10 billion of blocked money," the minister said, according to Reuters.

"They are not willing to free $10 billion belonging to the Iranian nation so that we can say that the Americans once in the past several decades considered the interests of the Iranian nation," Amir-Abdollahian added.

He reiterated that Iran would "soon" return to the stalled nuclear talks in Vienna, but declined to give a date.

Iran has gradually scaled back its compliance with the 2015 deal in response to former US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the agreement in May of 2018.

The previous government, headed by former President Hassan Rouhani, had been holding indirect talks with the US on a return to the agreement.

The negotiations were adjourned on June 20, two days after Ebrahim Raisi won Iran's presidential election, and no date has been set for a resumption of dialogue.

A senior US official said last week that the window is still open to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal but won't be forever.