Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian called on Saturday for a "realistic response" from the United States to Iranian proposals at indirect talks in Vienna aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Reuters reported, citing state media.
The Foreign Minister “stressed the need for a realistic US response to Iran's constructive proposals on various issues to make the deal work," state media reported, without providing details on the proposals.
The comments came as talks continued for a third day with few expecting a breakthrough compromise while Tehran's disputed uranium enrichment program surges forward.
Iran 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 has held several rounds of indirect talks with the US on a return to the agreement.
An agreement was nearly reached before the talks stopped in March. US Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley told lawmakers recently that the prospects for reaching a deal with Iran are “tenuous” at best.
In June, Iran began removing essentially all the monitoring equipment installed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) under the 2015 nuclear deal.
The indirect talks between Tehran and Washington restarted in Vienna on Thursday with a meeting between the Islamic Republic's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani and European Union coordinator Enrique Mora.
Those talks started after EU Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell, in an op-ed published in The Financial Times, said he had proposed a new draft text to revive the 2015 deal.
Borrell also stressed that “decisions need to be taken now to seize this unique opportunity to succeed, and to free up the great potential of a fully implemented deal. I see no other comprehensive or effective alternative within reach.”
US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters that Washington was reviewing the "draft understanding" Borrell shared with Iran and other parties to the 2015 deal and would respond directly to the EU.
Iran welcomed the EU’s diplomatic efforts and said, "The United States always states that it wants an agreement, so this approach should be seen in the agreement and in practice."