US Reports ‘Modest Progress’ in Last Week’s Nuclear Deal Negotiations

Ned Price, spokesperson for the US State Department, stated on Tuesday, December 14, regarding negotiations to revive the nuclear agreement known as JCPOA that talks in Vienna have made modest progress, and the United States hopes for further advances in the coming week.

Ned Price said at his press conference that some modest progress was achieved last week. We hope this progress will expand in this week.

The US State Department spokesperson added that what is clear is that if we do not soon reach an understanding on the mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA, the pace of Iran’s nuclear steps will increasingly diminish the benefits of the nuclear deal.

Ned Price, responding to a question about the remaining deadline the United States has in mind for continuing negotiations, said that when our experts here conclude that the benefits of [returning to the JCPOA nuclear deal]… are reduced by the [nuclear] advances that Iran achieves, the clock [for continuing negotiations] will run out.

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

Ned Price, responding to a question about lifting sanctions against Iran, said this matter is at the center of current negotiations.

However, the US State Department spokesperson added that on these issues, until everything is agreed upon, it should be assumed that nothing has been agreed upon. Therefore, I do not want to get ahead of where we are.

Reports indicate that Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s senior negotiator, held separate meetings on Tuesday with the delegations of negotiators present in Vienna.

According to IRNA, Ali Bagheri Kani met and held talks with Enrique Mora, the European Union representative and coordinator of the JCPOA Joint Commission. According to this report, the focus of their negotiations was on the “schedule of meetings in the coming days.”

Iran’s senior negotiator also had a meeting on Tuesday with representatives of the three European countries that are parties to the JCPOA.

In this context, Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, warned on Tuesday about time running out to reach an agreement on reviving the JCPOA.

Boris Johnson said that Britain seeks a “complete” revival of the JCPOA, and for that to happen, Iran must act in good faith.

Previously, US and European officials have also warned about the diminishing benefits of returning to the JCPOA given Iran’s nuclear advances in the past two years.

Source: Radio Farda