EU Proposal: US Says Conclusion of Nuclear Deal With Iran To Be Quick

The United States has indicated it was prepared to “quickly” conclude a deal with Iran over its nuclear program, on the basis of a drafted agreement submitted earlier in the day by the European Union representatives in the negotiations.

“For our part, our position is clear: we stand ready to quickly conclude a deal on the basis of the EU’s proposals,” the State Department said, indicating the deal’s restoration was up to Iran.

“They (Iran) repeatedly say they are prepared for a return to mutual implementation,” the spokesperson added. “Let’s see if their actions match their words.”

Major power talks involving Britain, China, France, Germany, Iran and Russia, as well as the United States indirectly, and aimed at reviving an agreement over Tehran’s nuclear program resumed, on Thursday in Vienna, months after they had stalled.

The US, which abandoned the original nuclear deal four years ago under former president Donald Trump, described the tabled draft as “the best and only basis on which to reach a deal.”

The draft in question has been described by EU officials as a “final text,” with one official speaking on condition of anonymity saying “The negotiation is finished, it’s the final text… and it will not be renegotiated.”

“Now the ball is in the court of the capitals and we will see what happens,” the European official added. “No one is staying in Vienna.”

European Union’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell added on Twitter: “What can be negotiated has been negotiated,” adding, however, that “behind every technical issue and every paragraph lies a political decision that needs to be taken in the capitals.”