VIENNA (AP) 鈥� Negotiators in Vienna resumed talks Monday over reviving Iran鈥檚 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, with the United States taking part at arm's length as in previous rounds since the Trump administration pulled out of the accord three years ago.
Hopes of quick progress were muted after a hard-line new government in Tehran led to a more than five-month hiatus in negotiations. But the European Union official chairing the talks sounded an upbeat note after the first meeting concluded.
鈥淚 feel positive that we can be doing important things for the next weeks,鈥� EU diplomat Enrique Mora told reporters.
All participants showed a willingness to listen to the positions and 鈥渟ensibilities鈥� of the new Iranian delegation, Mora said. At the same time, Tehran's team made clear it wanted to engage in 鈥渟erious work鈥� to bring the accord back to life, he said.
The remaining signatories to the nuclear deal formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action 鈥� Iran, Russia, China, France, Germany and Britain 鈥� convened at the Palais Coburg, a luxury hotel where the agreement was signed six years ago.
A U.S. delegation headed by the Biden administration's special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, stayed at a nearby hotel where it was being briefed on the talks by diplomats from the other countries.
President Joe Biden has signaled he wants to rejoin the talks. The last round, aimed at bringing Iran back into compliance with the agreement and paving the way for the U.S. to rejoin, was held in June.
鈥淭here is a sense of urgency in putting an end to the suffering of the Iranian people,鈥� said Mora, referring to the crippling sanctions the U.S. re-imposed on Iran when it quit the accord.
鈥淎nd there is a sense of urgency in putting the Iranian nuclear program under the transparent monitoring of the international community,鈥� he said.
鈥淲hat has been the norm over the first six rounds will be again the practice in this seventh round,鈥� Mora added. 鈥淣othing new on working methods.鈥�
The United States left the deal under then-President Donald Trump鈥檚 鈥渕aximum pressure鈥� campaign against Tehran in 2018.
The nuclear deal saw Iran limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Since the deal's collapse, Iran now enriches small amounts of uranium up to 60% purity 鈥� a short step from weapons-grade levels of 90%. Iran also spins advanced centrifuges barred by the accord, and its uranium stockpile now far exceeds the accord鈥檚 limits.
Iran maintains its atomic program is peaceful. However, U.S. intelligence agencies and international inspectors say Iran had an organized nuclear weapons program up until 2003. Nonproliferation experts fear the brinkmanship could push Tehran toward even more extreme measures to try to force the West to lift sanctions.
Making matters more difficult, United Nations nuclear inspectors remain unable to fully monitor Iran's program after Tehran limited their access. A trip to Iran last week by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, failed to make any progress on that issue.
Russia鈥檚 top representative, Mikhail Ulyanov, said he held 鈥渦seful鈥� informal consultations with officials from Iran and China on Sunday. That meeting, he said, was aimed at 鈥渂etter understanding ... the updated negotiating position of Tehran.鈥� He tweeted a picture of a meeting Monday he described as a preparatory session with members before Iran joined the discussions.
A delegation appointed by new Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is joining the negotiations for the first time. Iran has made maximalist demands, including calls for the U.S. to unfreeze $10 billion in assets as an initial goodwill gesture, a tough line that might be an opening gambit.
Ali Bagheri, an Iranian nuclear negotiator, told Iranian state television late Sunday that the Islamic republic 鈥渉as entered the talks with serious willpower and strong preparation.鈥� However, he cautioned that 鈥渨e cannot anticipate a timeframe on the length of these talks now.鈥�
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh, meanwhile, suggested Monday that the U.S. could 鈥渞eceive a ticket for returning to the room鈥� of the nuclear talks if it agrees to 鈥渢he real lifting of sanctions.鈥� He also criticized a recent opinion piece written by the foreign ministers of Britain and Israel, who pledged to 鈥渨ork night and day to prevent the Iranian regime from ever becoming a nuclear power.鈥�
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, in a video address delivered to nations negotiating in Vienna, warned that he saw Iran trying to 鈥渆nd sanctions in exchange for almost nothing.鈥�
鈥淚ran deserves no rewards, no bargain deals and no sanctions relief in return for their brutality," that he later posted to Twitter. "I call upon our allies around the world: Do not give in to Iran鈥檚 nuclear blackmail.鈥�
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss called the meeting 鈥渢he last opportunity for the Iranians to come to the table" after a meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.
鈥淲e want those talks to work,鈥� Truss said. 鈥淏ut if they don鈥檛 work, all options are on the table.鈥�
In an interview with NPR broadcast Friday, U.S. negotiator Malley said signs from Iran 鈥渁re not particularly encouraging.鈥�
Russia鈥檚 Ulyanov said there鈥檚 pressure to get the process moving after 鈥渁 very protracted pause.鈥�
鈥淭he talks can鈥檛 last forever,鈥� he tweeted on Sunday. 鈥淭here is the obvious need to speed up the process.鈥�
Mora, the EU official, said participants in Monday's meeting agreed on an agenda for the coming days. Diplomats planned to discuss the issue of sanctions on Tuesday, followed by a meeting on Iran's nuclear commitments Wednesday.
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Associated Press writers Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, Jill Lawless in London, and Frank Jordans and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.
Kiyoko Metzler, The Associated Press
