Iran seeks new nuclear talks

Tehran: Iran called on Monday for a new meeting "as soon as possible" in the talks that have been held in Vienna aimed at restoring its frayed 2015 nuclear deal with major powers.

Tehran has been engaged in negotiations with Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia directly and the United States indirectly to revive the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

"It is appropriate that a face-to-face meeting is held as soon as possible," foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told his weekly press conference. "It is not yet decided where and when to have this meeting and at what level it should be held, but it is on the agenda." The 2015 deal gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme to guarantee that Tehran could not develop a nuclear weapon, something it has always denied wanting to do.

The United States unilaterally withdrawal from the accord in 2018 under then-president Donald Trump and reimposed biting economic sanctions, prompting Iran to begin rolling back its own commitments.

Iran and the United States, adversaries for decades, have been exchanging views through the European coordinator of the Vienna talks, Enrique Mora. Khatibzadeh said Iran and the European Union agreed that "prolonging the pause in the negotiations is not in anyone’s interest". He added that the talks "have not stopped and are continuing through the coordinator of the Vienna negotiations".