Raisi to Macron: Any agreement in Vienna must include sanctions removal from Iran

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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, in a phone call, that the political claims being made to keep up the pressure against Tehran undermine the probability of reaching a deal.

Raisi also said that his country has presented constructive proposals during the talks and has repeatedly declared that it welcomes initiatives that preserve the rights of the people of Iran.

He stressed that any agreement in Vienna must include sanctions removal, guarantees, and provide an end for pending issues and political claims.

For his part, Macron stressed that good progress has been made in the Vienna Talks and that it is hoped the negotiations would be concluded as soon as possible, adding that the talks should not be affected by political pressure.

Iran's chief negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, recently tweeted that "after weeks of intensive talks, we are closer than ever to an agreement, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, though."

He urged the negotiating partners to "be realistic, avoid stubbornness, and stick to the lessons of the past four years", stressing the need for serious decisions. 

A US State Department spokesperson told Sputnik Friday "substantial progress" had been made over the last week in the latest round of negotiations as part of the Vienna talks.

The nuclear talks in the Austrian capital are aimed at reviving the nuclear deal, which was abandoned by all parties after the United States withdrew under Trump in 2018 and imposed harsh sanctions on Iran.

"We agree that nothing is agreed until everything is agreed, and also that substantial progress has been made in the last week," the State Department spokesperson said in a statement.