Iran says progress in Vienna nuclear talks depends on 'US will'

Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh has stressed that his country is not in a hurry to reach an agreement with the US on the nuclear deal, but also said that Tehran will not allow the talks to be drawn out.

In response to questions posted on his Telegram channel, Khatibzadeh said that all parties involved in the negotiations acknowledged that progress has been made, but he stressed that important issues remain unsolved and require decisions from the US.

“Reaching an agreement to revive the nuclear deal depends on the political will of the other parties to take difficult decisions,” he said, noting that his country’s delegation is seeking to reach a deal as soon as possible to lift crushing economic sanctions imposed on them by Washington.

He added that Tehran would not set a deadline for negotiations, and that it would continue "until a required agreement is reached."

When asked about statements coming from Western officials who say their countries are waiting for the formation of a new government in Tehran to reach an agreement, Khatibzadeh said Iran’s stance on the deal did not differ regardless of the government in place.

“Iran’s position on the nuclear agreement and lifting sanctions are among the (Iranian) regime’s basic policies, and they do not change with changing governments,” he said, adding that president-elect Ebrahim Raisi would stick to the agreement reached in Vienna.

Raisi, a hardliner, has said he will not oppose any efforts to revive the deal.

The nuclear accord, signed in 2015, was thrown into peril when former president Donald Trump withdrew from the deal and imposed crushing economic sanctions on Iran. Tehran has since taken several steps back from its commitments to the deal.

Iran and the US are speaking indirectly at the Vienna talks, which also include the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China.