Nuclear deal: The United States and Iran are back at the negotiating table in Vienna

Diplomats from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Russia and China are scheduled to mediate between the United States and Iran in the Austrian capital Vienna. However, Western diplomats believe the talks should lead to a breakthrough within a few weeks, before Iran’s growing nuclear knowledge renders the talks irrelevant. Washington is considering imposing more sanctions if the Vienna negotiations prove to be a failure.

The previous round of negotiations ended in mid-December without significant progress. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action radically curtailed Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions.

The United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under former President Donald Trump and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Iran responded by breaching several nuclear agreements that were supposed to stop the development of nuclear weapons.

Diplomats from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Russia and China are scheduled to mediate between the United States and Iran in the Austrian capital Vienna. However, Western diplomats believe the talks should lead to a breakthrough within a few weeks, before Iran’s growing nuclear knowledge renders the talks irrelevant. Washington is considering imposing more sanctions if the Vienna negotiations prove to be a failure. The previous round of negotiations ended in mid-December without significant progress. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action radically curtailed Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for relief from economic sanctions. The United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under former President Donald Trump and reimposed sanctions on Iran. Iran responded by breaching several nuclear agreements that were supposed to stop the development of nuclear weapons.