U.S. Cites Modest Progress in Iran Talks, Dialing Back Optimism
- Negotiations are closer to beginning than end, official says
- Iran’s Rouhani said the nuclear talks are 60% to 70% complete
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The Biden administration sought to dial back Iranian assessments that the two sides are getting close to an agreement on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, saying disagreements remain wide on what steps they need to take to come back into compliance.
A senior State Department official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, said the two sides are closer to the beginning of negotiations than to the end. The official spoke after a second round of talks in Vienna this past week in which the U.S. and Iran didn’t meet directly but negotiated through their European, Russian and Chinese partners.