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Iran: 'Not Enough'Progress Made at Last-Ditch Nuclear Deal Talks

Reuters

   European countries offered toolittle at last-ditch talks on Friday to
   persuade Iran to backoff from its plans to breach limits imposed by its
   nuclearagreement with world powers, Iran's envoy said.

   A week after Washington abruptly called off airstrikes onIran,
   diplomats said Tehran was days away from exceeding themaximum amount of
   enriched uranium allowed under its 2015nuclear deal with world powers,
   which Washington quit last year.

   The countries that are still parties to the agreement --European powers
   Britain, Germany and France, plus Russia andChina, and the backing of
   the European Union-- held urgent talks with Iranian officials on Friday
   inVienna in hopes of persuading Tehran to hold off.

   The Europeans say breach of the agreement by Iran wouldescalate
   confrontation at a time when TehranandWashington areat risk of a
   miscalculation that could trigger a war.

   Iran's envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister AbbasAraqchi, saidthe talks were
   "a step forward, but it is still not enough andnot meeting Iran's
   expectations."

   He said it was ultimately up to his superiors in Tehran todecide
   whether to call off plans to exceed limits in thenucleardeal, but he
   did not believe the talks' outcome was likely tochange their minds.

   "The decision to reduce our commitments has already beenmade and we
   will continue unless our expectations are met," hesaid. "I don't think
   the progress made today will be enough tostop ourprocess,but the
   decision will be made in Tehran."

   Washington's demand

   The likelihood that Iran could exceed the deal's limits assoon as the
   next few days is the next looming worry for Europeanleaders trying to
   keep confrontation between Washington andTehran from spiraling out of
   control.

   Despite abandoning the deal, Washington has demandedEuropean countries
   ensure Iran comply with it. Iran says itcannot do so unless the
   Europeans provide it with some way toreceive the deal's promised
   economic benefits.

   In particular, itwants its oil exports restored to thelevel of April
   2018, before Trump abandoned the deal andreimposedsanctions.

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