Iran nuclear talks to resume in Vienna on Thursday

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The United States and Iran are set to resume indirect talks regarding the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal in Vienna on Thursday, a US official told Axios. 

US officials are concerned that the nuclear deal is on the verge of becoming obsolete, as Iran has taken efforts to advance its nuclear program following the adoption of a politically-motivated anti-Iran resolution by the UN.

"We are headed back to Vienna with low expectations but are going to make a good faith effort," the US official said.

Read next: Kremlin slams US provocations, hopes for JCPOA restoration

Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy leader, recently submitted a revised and updated draft deal and urged the concerned parties to decide on the proposal.

Borrell wrote in a Financial Times op-ed last week that after 15 months of negotiations, he has concluded that “the space for additional significant compromises has been exhausted."

But Borrell added that his draft agreement "represents the best possible deal… decisions need to be taken now… if the deal is rejected, we risk a dangerous nuclear crisis."

The discussions' organizer, EU political director Enrique Mora, tweeted on Wednesday that he was on his way to Vienna and that the talks would focus on the draft proposed by the EU.

Uranium gas injections begun

On Wednesday, following the closing of a cabinet meeting, a senior nuclear official of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami, reiterated that Iran’s nuclear activities remain in compliance with the Safeguards Agreement and the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

In light of newly instated US sanctions targeting shipping and oil industries, Eslami stated that Iran has begun to inject uranium gas into its advanced centrifuge machines of 1,000 units that have been activated to confirm its determination to have sanctions lifted while going beyond the extra mile to preserve its national interests.

Read next: Iran after a "good, strong, sustainable deal": Foreign Minister

This implementation still conforms to the ‘Strategic Action’ and the safeguarding of national interests, which was ratified by the Parliament in October 2020.

The most recent session of indirect talks between the United States and Iran, held in Qatar a month ago, ended with little progress and no date set for the next round.

President Biden stated during his trip to the Middle East that the US would not "wait forever" for Iran to reply to its request to resurrect the deal, although it was the US that failed to respond to the Iranians' demands to lift the sanctions imposed on the Iranian people.