Race to revive Iran deal as monitoring deadline closes in

World powers are working to restore their nuclear deal with Iran by the middle of May, before a key monitoring deal expires, with talks now in their third week bogged down over which sanctions the US intends to lift.

Two European officials involved in mediating the process confirmed the target date, asking not be identified because of the sensitivity of the negotiations in Vienna. Though the US and Iran have made headway, there’s still a long way to go before an understanding is reached, they said.

The talks aim to choreograph a US return to the landmark 2015 accord abandoned by then-president Donald Trump and the rollback of Iran’s nuclear programme to limits set by that pact. Trump imposed penalties on the Iranian economy, but also on government and military officials in what was seen as an attempt to make it harder for a future administration to dismantle the sanctions regime.

Negotiations have become more urgent as the clock ticks towards May 22, a deadline agreed by Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency that’s central to efforts to ensure Iran isn’t hiding uranium enrichment work.

The sides made a deal in February that permits IAEA cameras installed at key facilities to record activities. Inspectors will only gain access to the material if an accord is reached in the Austrian capital. Otherwise, Iran says it will erase the material.

European nations are advocating for a return to the original agreement, without attempting to expand the dialogue to include regional security issues. One of the officials said the aim was to wrap up a deal at least several days before May 22.

That’s ambitious, according to a person close to US state department officials, who said an agreement by mid-June is more likely. In an interview on Thursday, the head of the IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said he’s worried Iran will destroy the camera data if an agreement isn’t reached in time.