Europeans see ‘problem’ if Iran is not serious in nuclear talks this week

Meeting of JCPOA Joint Commission in Vienna
Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Enrique Mora and Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani wait for the start of a meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission in Vienna, Austria November 29, 2021. EU Delegation in Vienna/Handout via REUTERS

By Francois Murphy and Parisa Hafezi

VIENNA – Iran must show seriousness this week about reviving a 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, European diplomats said on Tuesday, saying otherwise they had a “problem” and it remained unclear if Tehran would resume talks where they left off in June.

After a five-month hiatus, diplomats on Monday resumed talks on reviving the pact, which then-U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018 and reimposed harsh U.S. economic sanctions. Trump’s moves infuriated Iran and dismayed the other powers involved – Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.