Nuclear talks between Iran, world leaders adjourned

Negotiators from Tehran and world powers on Sunday adjourned talks in Vienna aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal with plans to return to their respective governments for consultations.

As Reuters reported, no date for a resumption of the talks has been set, though an envoy from Russia said they may begin again in as little as 10 days. The U.S. is not currently directly engaged in talks.

“We are now closer than ever to an agreement, but the distance that exists between us and an agreement remains, and bridging it is not an easy job,” top Iranian negotiator Abbas Araqchi said on Iran’s state television. “We will return to Tehran tonight.”

Negotiations to reenter the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) have been ongoing since April, though the state of negotiations may change with Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi, an ardent critic of the West who has been sanctioned by the U.S. for human rights violations.

“We have made progress this week, in this sixth round. We are closer to a deal, but we are not still there. We are closer than we were one week ago, but we are not still there,” Enrique Mora, the European Union’s political director, told reporters.

On Sunday, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said there was still a “fair distance to travel” when it came to key aspects of the JCPOA.

“I think what we need to do in the United States is keep our eye on the ball,” Sullivan said on ABC’s “This Week.” “Our paramount priority right now is to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. We believe that diplomacy is the best way to achieve that, rather than military conflict.”

“What I would say is that there is still a fair distance to travel on some of the key issues including on sanctions and on the nuclear commitments that Iran has to make,” he added.