Iran this week is to resume nuclear negotiations with world powers that have been suspended since June, an Iranian lawmaker said Sunday, though EU officials could not confirm the comments, AFP reports.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said that "talks with the 4+1 Group will restart on Thursday in Brussels", MP Ahmad Alirezabeigui was quoted as having said after a closed-door session with the minister.
The lawmaker was referring to four UN Security Council permanent members -- Britain, China, France and Russia -- along with Germany.
Iran has gradually scaled back its compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with world powers in response to former US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the agreement in May of 2018.
The previous Iranian government, headed by former President Hassan Rouhani, had been holding indirect talks with the Biden administration on a return to the agreement.
However, 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.
Last week, EU political director Enrique Mora, the chief coordinator for the talks, visited Tehran to meet members of Iran's nuclear negotiating team.
After Mora's visit, Iran's foreign ministry said it would hold talks in the coming days with the EU in Brussels. An EU official later said that Iran is not ready to return to talks with world powers over its nuclear program yet.
A spokesperson for the EU's diplomatic chief Josep Borrell was unable to confirm "if and when" a meeting in Brussels would place.
"The goal remains to resume negotiations in Vienna as quickly as possible," the spokesperson said, according to AFP.