Iran nuclear deal parties meet after month of friction
Iran nuclear deal parties meet after month of friction

Iran nuclear deal parties meet after month of friction

Parties to Iran's 2015 nuclear deal met in Vienna on Sunday for emergency talks called in response to an escalation in tensions between Iran and the West that included confrontations at sea and Tehran's breaches of the accord.

Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and Iran have been trying to salvage the pact since the United States withdrew from it in May 2018 and re-imposed and toughened sanctions on Iran, crippling an already weak economy.

The European-led efforts to protect trade with Iran against the U.S. sanctions have yielded nothing concrete so far. Earlier this month, Tehran followed through on its threat to increase its nuclear activities in breach of the agreement.

"All our steps taken so far arereversible if other parties to the deal fulfil their commitments," anIranian diplomat told Reuters before the extraordinary meeting was due tostart.

In response to the sanctions, Iransaid in May it would decrease its commitments under the nuclear pact. Under thedeal, most international sanctions against Tehran were lifted in return forlimitations on its nuclear work.

So far, Iran has breached the limit of its enriched uranium stockpile as well as enriching uranium beyond a 3.67% purity limit set by its deal with major powers, defying a warning by Europeans to stick to the deal despite U.S. sanctions.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog, policingthe deal, has confirmed the measures announced by Tehran.

"(Trade vehicle) INSTEX , along with other measures, will be discussed in the meeting. Other parties should accelerate their efforts, otherwise Iran will take a third step," the diplomat said.

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