US reports 'little progress' in JCPOA talks last week

Ned Price, a spokesman for the State Department, said on Tuesday, January 4, regarding negotiations to revive the nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), that the talks in Vienna have made little progress and that the United States hopes that some progress will be made in this regard this week.

"There was some modest progress last week. We hope to see that progress build this week," Ned Price said in his press conference.

The US State Department spokesperson added, "What is clear is that if we do not soon reach an understanding on a reciprocal return to compliance with the JCPOA, the pace of progress on Iran's nuclear steps will increasingly reduce the non-proliferation benefits of the JCPOA."

Ned Price, responding to a question about the remaining deadline the United States has for continuing negotiations, said, "When our experts here conclude that the benefits [of returning to the JCPOA nuclear agreement]... are diminished by the [nuclear] progress that Iran makes, the clock [for continuing negotiations] will run out."

The eighth round of negotiations to revive the JCPOA in Vienna, the capital of Austria, resumed on Monday after a break of several days to mark the start of the New Year.

Responding to a question about lifting sanctions on Iran, Ned Price said that this issue is at the center of current negotiations.

However, the US State Department spokesperson added, "On these issues, until everything is agreed upon, it should be considered as if nothing has been agreed upon. So, I don't want to go any further than where we are."

Reports indicate that Iran's chief negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, held separate meetings with the negotiating teams present in Vienna on Tuesday.

According to IRNA, Ali Bagheri Kani met with Enrique Moura, the European Union representative and coordinator of the Joint Commission of the JCPOA. According to the report, the focus of their discussions was on the "path of the meetings in the coming days."

Iran's chief negotiator also met with representatives of three European countries that are members of the JCPOA on Tuesday.

In this context, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Tuesday about losing time in reaching an agreement to revive the JCPOA.

Boris Johnson has said that Britain wants a "full" revival of the JCPOA and that to achieve that, Iran must act in good faith.

Previously, American and European officials have warned about the loss of the benefits of returning to the JCPOA, given Iran's nuclear progress in the last two years.

Source: Radio Farda