Talks between world powers and Iran on whether to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal are set to resume on December 27 in Vienna, it was announced Thursday.
The talks resumed in November after a five-month hiatus. World powers are offering Iran relief from international sanctions in exchange for curbs on its nuclear development program.
Iran is demanding that all sanctions be lifted, in addition to a “verification period” to ensure the sanctions are well and truly gone, along with guarantees that the US will not again withdraw from the deal, as it did in 2018 under the administration of President Donald Trump.
“Participants will continue the discussions on the prospect of a possible return of the United States to the JCPOA and how to ensure the full and effective implementation of the agreement by all sides,” the European Union’s External Action Service said in a statement reported by Reuters.
“Usually, it isn’t popular to engage in serious business b/w the Catholic Christmas and the New year,” Russian envoy to the talks, Mikhail Ulyanov, tweeted. “In this particular case this is an indication that all negotiators don’t want to waist (sic) time and aim at speediest restoration of #JCPOA,” he wrote.
Representatives from Russia, China, Britain, France, and Germany will attend the talks, along with Iran. The United States is participating indirectly, as the insistence of Iran.
European envoys and those from the United States have warned that the nuclear deal may become moot within weeks, if Iran continues its current pace of nuclear development activities.
“Important to pick up the pace on key outstanding issues and move forward, working closely with the US,” wrote European Union diplomat Enrique Mora. “Welcome to the 8th round.”
US negotiator Rob Malley warned earlier this week that a “period of escalating crisis” is likely to ensue if the talks fail.