Still Long Way to Go For Vienna Talks, US Official Says

Despite hints of optimism in recent days by European and Iranian representatives participating in the Vienna nuclear talks, a top State Department official on Wednesday cautioned there were still “pretty important” disagreements between Washington and Tehran and that the negotiations would likely take much more time. “The outcome is still uncertain,” the unnamed Washington official told reporters in a conference call. The third round of indirect talks between the US and Iran, mediated by the Europeans, will begin next week, as the sides look to return to the shredded 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. Former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the pact in 2018, reimposing harsh sanctions on Iran, who in return gradually breached the agreement’s restrictions on its nuclear program. The Vienna negotiations essentially come down to what sanctions Washington is ready to lift, how quickly Tehran is willing to roll back its uranium enrichment, and who goes first.