US Diplomat: ‘We’ve made progress’ in Iran talks, ‘now is the time for political decisions’

Senior State Department official: Only handful of weeks left to get a deal, after which it will unfortunately no longer be possible to return to JCPOA

A senior US diplomat said today (January 31) that the parties have made progress in narrowing down the list of differences in the latest round of talks in Vienna on trying to restore the Iran nuclear deal, and that now is the time for political decisions to finalize it.

“We made progress narrowing down the list of differences to just the key priorities on all sides,” the senior State Department official, speaking not for attribution, told journalists on a call today (Jan. 31). “And that’s why now is a time for political decisions.”

The talks held in Vienna in January on restoring the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), “were among the most intensive that we’ve had to date,” the senior State Department official said.

“We will know sooner rather than later” whether a mutual return of the United States and Iran to full implementation of the deal is possible, he said.

“Given the pace of Iran’s… nuclear advances, we only have a handful of weeks left to get a deal,” the official said.

The American official’s assessment followed closely that expressed by European diplomats as talks went into recess late last week.

“January has been the most intensive period of these talks to date,” diplomats from the three European (E3) parties to the JCPOA, the UK, France and Germany, said Friday.

“Everyone knows we are reaching the final stage, which requires political decisions,” the E3 diplomatic statement continued. “Negotiators are therefore returning to capitals for consultation.”

The State Department official said the twin message of opportunity to finalize the deal and urgency was also conveyed by French President Emmanuel Macron in a call with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi over the weekend.

“If we all don’t move with that urgency, that opportunity will very soon disappear,” the US official said.

More to come