US asks new president Iran to resume nuclear talks | Abroad

A US State Department spokesman said the lifting of the sanctions is exactly what is being discussed in Vienna. There, in the months before the appointment of conservative hardliner Raisi, Iran discussed the possibilities of reviving a 2015 nuclear deal.

Trump

That nuclear deal provided for the easing of sanctions against Iran, which in return would curb its nuclear program. Things went awry a few years later when Donald Trump took office as US president and threw the deal in the trash. He thought the agreements with Iran did not go far enough and wanted to force new negotiations by imposing heavy sanctions again.

Iran and major countries have held several rounds of talks in Austria’s capital in recent months. They last met on June 20 and no date has been set for future consultations. “We urge Iran to return to negotiations soon,” the spokesman said. “That is a top priority for us.”

Peaceful

When Raisi took office, he once again emphasized that his country does not want to develop nuclear weapons. “Our nuclear program is peaceful. Making nuclear bombs is prohibited in our country for religious reasons,” the president said. “It is not part of our political and military doctrine.”

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