Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday, after another round of nuclear talks in Vienna, that an agreement could be reached soon if the US acted “honestly”.
Why does it matter: Rouhani’s optimism comes as representatives of Iran and other world powers, including the United States, begin working on a plan to restore the 2015 nuclear deal.
“The talks in Vienna have progressed by about 60.70%, and if Americans act honestly, we will get results in a short time.”
– Hassan Rouhani in a meeting with political activists in Tehran
News management: Senior diplomats from Iran, the EU, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia and China met in Vienna today to review the progress of two expert working groups.
- The groups focused on the steps needed by the US to reduce sanctions and by Iran on its nuclear program. The EU has announced that a third group will now be formed to focus on sequencing those potential US and Iranian measures.
- US envoy Rob Malley and his team did not attend the plenary session, but had indirect discussions with the Iranians through EU representatives. They also met with members of the other delegations in Vienna.
- State Department spokesman Ned Price said the talks in Vienna this week were business and positive, but “we still have a long way to go. Most of the road is still in front of us. ”
- Price said the US and Iran have a common goal of restoring the agreement, but the US will not make concessions without being sure that Iran will return to full compliance.
What’s next: Members of the various delegations are expected to return to the capitals for consultations and then return to Vienna for another round of talks next week, the EU said in a statement.