Vienna talks on hold temporarily: Iran FM

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Tehran is looking for a good, reliable, and sustainable nuclear agreement through the Vienna talks, Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Monday. "The Iranian red lanes are not a waste of time," he added.

During a phone call with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran was "very serious about reaching a good, reliable, and sustainable nuclear agreement."

"The chief Iranian negotiator is continuing to work hard to reach a good, strong, and sustainable agreement in Vienna," the top Iranian diplomat said, noting that resolving and separating the remaining issues, which are part of Iran's red lines, had to do with Washington, "And they are not a waste of time."

Amir-Abdollahian also clarified that the Vienna talks were merely on hold, not on a permanent hiatus, revealing that the break happened with coordination with the coordinator of the European Union.

The Omani foreign minister said he hoped the parties to the talks in the Austrian capital strike a deal.

A few days ago, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell announced the suspension of the Vienna nuclear talks, while Iranian sources reported that there were still "two or three issues" that still needed to be resolved.

A pause in #ViennaTalks is needed, due to external factors.

A final text is essentially ready and on the table.

As coordinator, I will, with my team, continue to be in touch with all #JCPOA participants and the U.S. to overcome the current situation and to close the agreement.

— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) March 11, 2022

The European official also claimed that the parties to the talks had reached a deal, while Iranian sources refuted these claims.

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian criticized Sunday the United States for complicating the Vienna talks with new issues.