Europe powers warn against jeopardising Iran talks progress

There has been progress at Vienna-based talks between world powers aimed at salvaging the 2015 deal on Iran's nuclear programme but any escalatory moves would jeopardise the opportunity, the European negotiating countries said on Wednesday.

Former US president Donald Trump walked out of the deal in 2018 but the talks in the Austrian capital -- which indirectly involve the US -- are seen as the best chance yet of reviving the accord with President Joe Biden keen to reengage if Tehran returns to compliance.

"We have made some progress but there is still a way to go," said a diplomat from the E3 powers of Britain, France and Germany, who asked not to be named.

"We encourage all sides to seize the diplomatic opportunity in front of us. We condemn escalatory measures by any actor which could jeopardise progress," added the diplomat.

The talks in Vienna got underway at the start of the month and should resume next week after a pause that allows diplomats to confer with their capitals.

Diplomats from Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran and Russia have been meeting in a luxury Vienna hotel, while US diplomats are participating indirectly in the talks from a nearby hotel.

The United States has had no diplomatic relations with Iran since its embassy was seized by radicals in the wake of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that ousted the pro-West shah.

The powers had last week expressed "grave concern" over Iran's move to boost uranium enrichment to 60 percent in response to what Tehran says was an attack by Israel against the key nuclear facility of Natanz.

The step will bring Iran closer to the 90 percent purity threshold for military use and shorten its potential "breakout time" to build an atomic bomb -- a goal the Islamic republic denies.

Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement but public radio reports in the country, citing unnamed intelligence sources, said it was a sabotage operation by the Mossad spy agency.