Iran nuke deal parties to wrap up talks in Vienna
The remaining parties to the Iran nuclear deal were scheduled to meet in Vienna yesterday, the European Union announced, as diplomats said the meeting will wrap up the latest round of talks on reviving the deal and adjourn discussions for at least a week.
Such meetings of the remaining parties - Iran, Russia, China, France, Britain, Germany and the European Union - in a format known as the Joint Commission have punctuated and bookended indirect talks between Iran and the United States on both countries returning to full compliance with the 2015 deal.
The EU chairs Joint Commission meetings in the basement of a luxury hotel and leads shuttle diplomacy between Iranian envoys and a US delegation based in another luxury hotel across the road. Iran refuses to hold direct talks with Washington.
Talks are expected to be adjourned for at least a week.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator said the barriers to the revival of the deal are complicated but not insurmountable.
"Differences have reached a point where everyone believes these differences are not insolvable," Abbas Araqchi told Iranian state TV ahead of the meeting.
"But the details are important and Iran's firm positions are important to be observed."
Iran's government spokesman on Tuesday denied that negotiations had stalled with the Islamic Republic's June 18 presidential election less than three weeks away.
The International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors holds a quarterly meeting next week, with a number of the delegates at the nuclear talks due to attend.
The UN watchdog Monday voiced concern that Iran had not clarified queries over possible undeclared nuclear activity, adding that its enriched uranium stockpile was 16 times over the limit.
The two reports issued by the IAEA are the first substantive reports since Iran suspended some inspections in February.
Last week the IAEA said it had extended a temporary agreement with Iran until June 24 which has allowed many inspections to continue.