New York:The Biden administration is imploring Iran to quickly return to talks on its nuclear programme after a three-month hiatus caused by its government transition, warning that the window for negotiations may soon close.
A senior administration official said on Thursday that the US' patience is wearing thin and the delay could lead Washington and its partners to conclude a return to the landmark 2015 nuclear deal. The official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, spoke as diplomats from the remaining parties to the agreement would be meeting Iran's foreign minister to gauge Tehran's willingness to return to the talks in Vienna, on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly.
While Iran has said it is ready to rejoin the talks, it has not yet offered a date for a resumption, named a negotiating team, or indicated that it is willing to pick up where the negotiations left off in June, according to the US official.
In discussions with representatives from the remaining parties to the deal - Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China, and the European Union - the official said all of them had agreed on the importance of resuming the talks as soon as possible.
If the talks don't resume, the official said the US would at some point determine that Iran was no longer interested in the benefits that the accord offered or that its recent technological advances could not be undone by the limits it imposed.