The US State Department on Thursday played down expectations for talks on how Washington and Tehran might resume compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Reuters reported.
While echoing descriptions of the talks being held in Vienna as “constructive,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters “we would also, however, hasten to not allow expectations to outpace where we are.”
Diplomats from major powers have met separately with Iran and the United States this week to discuss how to bring both back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal.
Neither the United States nor Iran expect fast breakthroughs in the talks that began in Vienna on Tuesday.
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.
President Joe Biden has expressed a desire to return to the deal but has stressed that Iran must resume compliance with it before any negotiations on a US return to the agreement.
On Monday, Price said the US is ready to review key sanctions on Iran if it comes into compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal.
On Wednesday, he took things a step further and indicated the US is prepared to remove sanctions on Iran to resume compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, including those that are inconsistent with the pact.
“We are prepared to take the steps necessary to return to compliance with the JCPOA, including by lifting sanctions that are inconsistent with the JCPOA,” Price said.
He added, however, “I am not in a position here to give you chapter and verse on what those might be.”