The United States will not impose a deadline on the seventh round of talks with Iran to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, but only Tehran can determine when talks will resume, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Monday.
"We're not imposing a deadline on these talks, but ... we are conscious that as time proceeds Iran's nuclear advances will have a bearing on our view of ultimately returning to the JCPOA," Price also claimed, Reuters reported.
As soon as a date is set for the resumption of talks, Robert Malley, the US special envoy for Iran, and his team would be ready to attend the seventh round of Vienna talks, Price said.
Washington is ready to return to the seventh round of indirect talks with Iran without any time limit, he said, claiming that it is Iran that must decide for the seventh round of talks.
"We also believe that diplomacy is the most effective way to achieve what we pursue", he added.
Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in Monday presser, "Given the progress made, we can say that we are close to the end of the Vienna talks. Some unresolved issues remain, but what matters is that the weight of unresolved issues far outweighs the unresolved issues. We have come a long way, but it will not be easy. We hope that the other parties can make their own decisions so that we too can reach an agreement that will be in everyone's interests."
Saeed Khatibzadeh added, "In Vienna, all delegations acknowledge that relatively good progress has been made and all agree on their seriousness to continue on the path and reach an agreement to revive the JCPOA, but they also agree there are some key issues that need to be decided upon by decision-making bodies in their respective countries."
He also noted, "What everyone in our country agrees on is that, firstly, US sanctions must be lifted in an effective manner and, secondly, any excessive demands beyond the JCPOA have nothing to do with this agreement. It has been repeatedly stated that the Islamic Republic of Iran will resume its full compliance with the obligations as soon as the nuclear deal is fully implemented and verified."
Khatibzadeh also pointed out, "From the Islamic Republic of Iran's perspective, the progress of the negotiations in Vienna...Not only a lot of draft texts have been prepared, but also the unfinished parts have also been identified and elaborated on that clearly show the differences. This will help the decision-makers to realize what stage of the decision they are at."
The spokesman went on to say, "Our stances have not changed since the beginning of the [Vienna] negotiations, and we call for the lifting of sanctions, their verification, and then the resumption of our country's implementation of commitments."
He also underlined, "The United States, as a violator of JCPOA, must provide the necessary guarantees. In the Vienna talks, within the framework of national interests, we only pursue the goals set by high-ranking officials."
The spokesman of the foreign ministry added that the change in administrations in Iran will not affect the Vienna talks and the revival of the JCPOA.
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