Jean-Yves Le Drian
Jean-Yves Le DrianReuters

France and Germany on Wednesday urged Iran to return rapidly to nuclear negotiations after a break in talks following Iranian elections in June, Reuters reported.

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told his newly-appointed Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a telephone call it was urgent for Tehran to return to the talks, Le Drian's ministry said in a statement quoted by the news agency.

"The minister underlined the importance and the urgency of an immediate resumption of negotiations," the foreign ministry said after the conversation between Le Drian and Amir-Abdollahian.

Le Drian repeated his concern with regard to all the nuclear activities carried out by Iran in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Germany also raised pressure on Tehran, asking it to resume talks "as soon as possible."

"We are ready to do so, but the time window won't be open indefinitely," a ministry spokesperson told a briefing, according to Reuters.

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, but current President Joe Biden wants to bring Washington back into the agreement.

In April, Iran and the five other remaining parties to the deal -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, began talks in Vienna on a return to the deal. The United States also takes part in the talks but has no direct contact with Iran.

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

France and Germany’s call came after Amir-Abdollahian indicated that the stalled talks will likely not resume for another two to three months.

"We are not seeking to flee the negotiation table and the... government considers a real negotiation is a negotiation that produces palpable results allowing the rights of the Iranian nation to be guaranteed," he said.