Nuclear talks in Vienna
Nuclear talks in ViennaReuters

Iran said on Monday it has detected a new “realism” on the part of Western countries, ahead of further negotiations in Vienna aimed at rescuing the 2015 nuclear agreement.

“We sense a retreat, or rather realism from the Western parties in the Vienna negotiations, that there can be no demands beyond the nuclear accord,” foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters, according to the AFP news agency.

At the same time, he added, “It is too early to judge if the United States and the three European countries have drawn up a real agenda to commit to lifting sanctions.”

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.

However, it has held indirect talks with the US on reviving the deal. The talks resumed in Vienna last week, then took a break before picking up again on Monday.

“Today is the time for the opposing parties to show their commitment and show that we can progress in the area of lifting sanctions, of guarantees and verification, on which we have made little progress,” the spokesman said on Monday.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly demanded that the US lift sanctions imposed on Iran and also reassure Iran it will not abandon the deal again as a precondition for its returning to compliance with the deal.

US officials have said that while they prefer the diplomatic route to reach an agreement with Iran, there are other options on the table should that fail.