Daily Times

Britain, France and Germany urged Iran on Friday “not to make unrealistic demands” in the talks to salvage a 2015 deal aimed at reining in Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Officials from world powers and Iran were meeting in the Austrian capital for the first time since March, when negotiations — which began in 2021 to reintegrate the United States into the agreement — stalled. “Today’s talks in Vienna do not mark a new round of negotiations. These are technical discussions,” the three countries — known as the E3 group — said in a statement. “The text is on the table. There will be no re-opening of negotiations. Iran must now decide to conclude the deal while this is still possible. We urge Iran not to make unrealistic demands outside the scope of the JCPoA”, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the statement said. Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran, Russia and the United States signed the JCPOA in July 2015. But following the unilateral withdrawal of the United States in 2018 under former president Donald Trump and the re-imposition of US sanctions, Tehran has backtracked on its obligations to curtail its atomic activities, such as uranium enrichment.