(A7) Germany’s Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, warned on Saturday that time was running out to find a way to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between world powers and Iran.
“Time is running out,” Baerbock told reporters in Liverpool, England where G7 foreign ministers are meeting, according to Reuters.
“It has shown in the last days that we do not have any progress,” she added.
The comments came two days after nuclear talks between Iran and world powers formally resumed in Vienna on Thursday. The talks ended within an hour, though Russia’s envoy to the talks said the meeting was productive.
Baerbock said Iran had resumed the talks with a position that set the negotiations back six months.
Iran has gradually scaled back its compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with world powers in response to former US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the agreement in May of 2018.
Iran has repeatedly demanded that the US lift sanctions imposed on Iran and also reassure Iran it will not abandon the deal again as a precondition for its returning to compliance with the deal.
US officials have said that while they prefer the diplomatic route to reach an agreement with Iran, there are other options on the table should that fail.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters this week that the United States is preparing “additional measures” against Iran should the nuclear talks not succeed.
Meanwhile on Saturday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that Tehran was serious in its nuclear talks in Vienna, adding that the US removing the sanctions imposed on Iran would show that it is serious as well.
