European diplomats say Iran must show seriousness about reviving nuclear deal

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European diplomats say Iran must show seriousness about reviving nuclear deal

VIENNA, Nov 30 Reuters - Iranians must show seriousness this week about reviving a 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, according to European diplomats on Tuesday. They said that they had a problem and it was not known whether Tehran would resume talks where they left off in June.

After a five-month hiatus, diplomats resumed talks on reviving the pact, which was then-U. In 2018 President Donald Trump reimposed harsh U.S. economic sanctions. Trump dissented Iran and upset the other powers involved - Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

Senior British, French and German diplomats, a group known as the E3, told reporters that this week would be the key to determining whether Iran was serious about reviving the pact, even though they did not want to impose artificial deadlines.

Iran limited its uranium enrichment program, which can yield fissile material for bombs, in exchange for relief from U.S. EU and U.N. economic sanctions. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

With the election of anti-Western hardliner Ebrahim Raisi as Iran's president, Iran will probably take longer if they start from a blank page.

A senior European diplomat said that 70 - 80% of a draft agreement was completed in June and that we are still waiting for a solid confirmation that the Iranian side is willing to work there where we left off in June. He said that the next 48 hours will be very important to know and to confirm that we can pick up there and get into very intensive working mode. If they don't show us that they're serious this week, we have a problem. The diplomat stressed that 20 - 30% of the 20 -- 30% remain unresolved, including what to do about advanced centrifuges that Iran is using to enrich uranium in defiance of the original agreement.

The top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani took an ambiguous position, suggesting everything negotiated during the six rounds of talks between April and June was open for discussion.

What was discussed at the six previous rounds of talks in Vienna resulted in a draft and not an agreement. Bagheri Kani told reporters that a draft is subject to negotiations.

Everything is agreed until everything is agreed. All issues that were concluded in the previous round of talks can be negotiated and agreed by all parties to the deal.