Iran confirms 'pause' in Vienna nuke talks

TEHRAN -- Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh on Friday confirmed "pause" in the Vienna nuclear talks and said the break would pave the way for a solution to the remaining issues.

"Pause in Vienna Talks could be a momentum for resolving any remaining issue and a final return," Khatibzadeh tweeted.

"Successful conclusion of talks will be the main focus of all," he said, adding that "no external factor will affect our joint will to go forward for a collective agreement."

Earlier on Friday, Josep Borrell, EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, announced the break, saying that "a pause in Vienna Talks is needed, due to external factors."

He did not specify the "external factors", but said that a final draft of the agreement is ready.

"As coordinator, I will, with my team, continue to be in touch with all JCPOA participants and the US to overcome the current situation and to close the agreement," he noted.

On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that "the effective removal of sanction must not be affected by the US' excessive demands."

Since April 2021, several rounds of talks have been held in Vienna between Iran and major parties to the deal, in a bid to restore the 2015 nuclear deal from which former US President Donald Trump withdrew unilaterally in 2018 and reinstated sanctions against Iran.

Over the past days, reports from Vienna suggested that the negotiators were "close" to an agreement with few key issues remaining which required "political decisions" of the parties.