EU coordinator in Iran in bid to save nuke deal

The European Union coordinator of talks to revive Iran’s nuclear accord with world powers said Tuesday that he was traveling to Tehran, as the bloc makes a last-ditch effort to salvage the deal after a weekslong standstill.

Enrique Mora said he’d meet with Iranian negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani during his visit to the Iranian capital. “Work on closing the remaining gaps of this negotiation continues,” he tweeted.

Officials in Tehran confirmed Mora’s visit, seeking to portray it as proof of Iran’s engagement and attention to economic problems.

“(The visit) shows the control of the government over the most important file,” said Ali Shamkhani of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

The landmark accord in 2015 granted Iran sanctions relief in exchange for strict curbs on its nuclear program. Former President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal four years ago, piling sanctions on Iran under a policy of “maximum pressure.”