Iran nuclear deal still possible after modest progress, Antony Blinken says

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that he believed reviving the Iran nuclear deal was still possible after “modest progress” in talks, after meeting with European allies in Berlin.

“My own assessment, talking to all of our colleagues, is that returning to mutual compliance, it remains possible,” Blinken told reporters.

“We’ve seen, I would say, some modest progress in the last couple of weeks in the talks” in Vienna, he added.

Speaking at a joint news conference, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that “urgent progress” was needed in talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

“The window for finding a solution is closing,” she said.

“The negotiations are in a decisive phase. We need urgent, urgent progress, otherwise we will not be successful in reaching a joint accord.”

Blinken agreed it was a “decisive moment” in the negotiations, adding “time is running out” to reach a deal.

Their comments came a day after US President Joe Biden said it was “not time to give up” on the talks with Iran, insisting “there is some progress being made”.

Talks to restore the accord between Tehran and world powers — the United States, France, Britain, Russia, China, and Germany — began last year but stopped in June as Iran elected ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi.

The talks on the accord known as the JCPOA resumed in November.