Iran sees ‘new understanding’ at Vienna nuclear talks

Iran’s chief negotiator at nuclear talks in Vienna said on Saturday an understanding was emerging at the negotiations but that “serious disagreements” remained, according to Iranian state media.

“A new understanding appears to be emerging and there is a common ground between the parties on the ultimate goal,” Abbas Araqchi told state media. “But the path ahead is not an easy one and there are some serious disagreements.”

Earlier in the day, China’s envoy to the negotiations said they will continue and all remaining parts to the accord had agreed to accelerate work on issues including which sanctions the United States would lift.

Meanwhile, talks aimed at salvaging the Iran nuclear deal will continue and all remaining parties to the accord have agreed to accelerate work on issues including which sanctions the United States would lift, China’s envoy to the negotiations said on Saturday.

The second round of talks began on Thursday in the basement of a luxury hotel in Vienna. The United States is not present as Iran has declined faceto-face negotiation, but European Union officials chairing the talks are carrying out shuttle diplomacy with a US delegation based at another hotel across the road.

Iran has breached many of the deal’s restrictions on its nuclear activities in response to the US withdrawal and reimposition of sanctions against Tehran under president Donald Trump. Negotiators are working on steps both sides must take, on sanctions and nuclear activities, to return to full compliance.

“All parties have agreed to further pick up their pace in subsequent days by engaging (in) more extensive, substantive work on sanctions-lifting as well as other relevant issues,” China’s ambassador to the UN nuclear watchdog, Wang Qun, told reporters after a meeting of the remaining parties to the 2015 deal.

Iran has responded by saying it is enriching uranium to 60 per cent fissile purity, a big step towards weapons-grade from the 20 per cent it had previously achieved.

Negotiators are working on steps both sides must take, on sanctions and N-activities, to return to full compliance

— Reuters European External Action Service Deputy Secretary-general Enrique Mora and Iranian Deputy at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araqchi at meeting of the JCPOA Joint Commission in Vienna.