Diplomats from Iran and five world powers recommitted Sunday to salvaging the 2015 nuclear deal from which the US withdrew last year.
Representatives of Iran, Germany, France, Britain, China, Russia and the European Union met in Vienna to discuss the agreement that restricts the Iranian nuclear program, reported The Associated Press.
"The atmosphere was constructive, and the discussions were good," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi told reporters after the meeting ended.
"I cannot say that we resolved everything" but all the parties are still "determined to save this deal," he added.
Fu Cong, the head of Chinese delegation, said that while there were "some tense moments" during the meeting, but "on the whole the atmosphere was very good. Friendly. And it was very professional."
Both diplomats said there was a general agreement to organize a higher-level meeting of foreign ministers soon, but also that preparations for such a summit needed to be done well. A date has not been set.
The future of the 2015 has been in jeopardy ever since Trump withdrew from it last May, and later imposed two rounds of sanctions on Iran, the latest of which went into effect in November of 2018.
The European signatories to the 2015 deal – including Britain – did not agree with Trump’s decision to leave the agreement and vowed to help Iran evade the economic sanctions imposed by the US, shielding companies doing business with the rogue state in an effort to preserve the Iran nuclear deal.
In recent weeks, however, Iran has begun to roll back its commitments as part of the nuclear deal.
Three weeks ago, the Islamic Republic announced that it had exceeded the amount of enriched uranium permitted under the deal. Several days later, Iran followed up by saying it had begun to enrich uranium to 5% purity instead of the 3.67% limit imposed under the JCPOA.
Last week, Iran warned the EU that it is prepared to end all of its commitments under the 2015 nuclear, and restore its nuclear program to the status quo ante, under which Tehran placed no limits on any areas of nuclear development.
