Iran deal still possible after progress: Blinken
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sees that "modest progress" in the Vienna talks could see them succeeding in reviving the Iran nuclear deal.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses a press conference after meeting with his counterparts from Germany, France, and the UK at the German Foreign Office in Berlin on January 20, 2022 (AFP)
Reviving the Iran nuclear deal is still possible, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday after "modest progress" in the Vienna talks.
His words came after discussions with European allies in Berlin, and, as per his assessment, "Talking to all of our colleagues, is that returning to mutual compliance, it remains possible," Blinken told reporters.
"We've seen, I would say, some modest progress in the last couple of weeks in the talks," he added, stressing that this was a "decisive moment" in the negotiations, and that "time is running out" to reach a deal.
Joe Biden underscored Wednesday, during his speech marking his first year in office, that it was "not time to give up" on the nuclear talks, insisting that "there is some progress being made."
France: talks cannot go slowly
Despite his US counterpart's optimism about the talks, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned that quicker progress was needed in the talks to revive the nuclear deal between Iran and major powers. Time is the essence, he said.
Speaking in Berlin after talks with European allies, Le Drian told reporters that "the negotiations cannot go on so slowly" on returning to the 2015 JCPOA, which was practically neglected over the US withdrawing under former President Donald Trump.
Germany: urgent progress needed
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said "urgent progress" was needed to revive the 2015 agreement after she met with her US counterpart Antony Blinken.
"The window for finding a solution is closing," she told reporters in Berlin.
"The negotiations are in a decisive phase. We need urgent, urgent progress. Otherwise, we will not be successful in reaching a joint accord," Baerbock noted.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian had announced previously that the parties to the Vienna talks were close to an agreement.
The negotiations had restarted on November 29, following a five-month hiatus to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.
Currently, the parties to the agreement are conducting their 8th round of the talks, and Iranian media reported that this round would be devoted to the verification of US sanctions' removal.
Concurrently, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh warned that the negotiation window would not remain open forever, noting that "time is sensitive," and that the "ball is in the court of the US and the Western parties to prove their seriousness in adhering to the agreement."
