According to Russian Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov, the final agreement on the restoration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program may be reached as early as next week, he told sources.

"In the event of favorable development of events the final agreement may be reached as early as next week," he said when asked a respective question. "However, it is possible if all countries participating in the Vienna talks agree with the version of the text provided by EU coordinators on August 8. If amendments and objections appear it is difficult to project further developments now. We have to wait for the beginning of next week," the diplomat said.

EU coordinators have made several amendments to the text that is on the table now, Ulyanov added.

"This is not an EU text, but the one developed by all participants of the talks that have been underway since last April. As coordinators, the EU’s representatives may offer compromise options, which they did. Indeed, the US has apparently agreed, whereas Iran has not yet defined its position on the text, which is why I will not speculate on what issues Teheran may still have," he explained.

During the course of the meetings, Iran delegates have made it clear that the removal of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) from the US "terrorist blacklist" is required for the talks to proceed positively. 

Yesterday, it was reported that the proposal, brokered by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in coordination with US officials, is not seeking the suspension of sanctions against the IRGC but may "significantly limit their effectiveness.

Ulyanov has previously stated to Al Mayadeen reporters that he was "optimistic" about the course the nuclear talks are taking. He also assured that everything was "manageable, and Russia fully supports the need to close these issues as soon as possible.

Read more: EU may ease pressure on IRGC to revive JCPOA: Reports

In 2015, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany reached a nuclear deal with Iran in order to address the crisis around its nuclear program. In 2018, then-US President Donald Trump decided to pull out of the agreement, with Washington slapping its most sweeping sanctions ever on Tehran. The current occupant of the Oval Office, Joe Biden, has repeatedly indicated his support for reentering the nuclear deal.

Since last April, Russia, the UK, Germany, China, the US and France have been conducting discussions with Iran in Vienna on reviving the JCPOA in its original form.