Iran to remain in Vienna talks until 'strong agreement' reached: Top security official

A top Iranian security official said on Monday that Iran will remain in the Vienna talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal until a "strong agreement" meeting its legal and logical demands is reached.

All efforts by Iran are focused on preserving and advancing the country's national interests despite "all external and internal hype," Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani tweeted.

"All pillars of the Iranian state -- despite all external and internal hype -- work hard to preserve and advance Iran's national interests," he said.

Iran signed the Iranian nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran.

Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in Vienna between Iran and the remaining parties to the JCPOA, namely Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany, with the United States indirectly involved, in a bid to revive the landmark deal.

A pause in the Vienna talks was first announced on Friday in a tweet by Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign policy chief, who said the pause is needed for what he called "external factors." (ANI/Xinhua)

( With inputs from ANI )

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