World powers to meet with Iran at U.N. to push for return to nuclear talks -France

September 20, 2021

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Ministers from Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia will meet with Iran at the United Nations later this week to try to give fresh momentum to stalled talks over reviving a 2015 nuclear deal, France’s foreign minister said on Monday.

A sixth round of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington was adjourned in June after hardliner Ebrahim Raisi was elected Iran’s president. Raisi took office on Aug. 5.

Since April, Iran and the world powers have tried to work out how Tehran and Washington can both return to compliance with the nuclear pact, which former U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018 and reimposed harsh sanctions on Tehran.

“The negotiation must restart,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said. “Time is playing against a potential accord. We need to take advantage of this week to restart these talks. Iran must accept to return as quickly as possible by appointing its representatives for the negotiations.”

New British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is due to meet with her Iranian counterpart Amir Abdollahian in New York on Monday as high-level officials meet at the annual U.N. General Assembly.

“The UK, US and our international partners are fully committed to a nuclear deal, but every day that Iran continues to delay talks whilst escalating its own nuclear programme means there is less space for diplomacy,” she said in a statement.

(Reporting by Michelle Nicols and John Irish; editing by Grant McCool)

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