The Iranian nuclear talks in Vienna broke for a pause with no deal reached on Friday, following recent Russian demands for guarantees from Washington that would prevent Western sanctions on Moscow stopping Russia doing business with Iran.
“A pause in #ViennaTalks is needed, due to external factors,” the European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the formal chairman of the negotiations, said on Twitter. “A final text is essentially ready and on the table.”
Mr. Borrell said he will be in touch with the U.S. and other negotiating teams from Iran and major powers “to overcome the current situation and to close the agreement.”
Iran, the U.S. and other world powers have been negotiating how to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, which lifted most international sanctions on Iran in exchange for tight but temporary restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear work.
U.S. and European negotiators have been warning for weeks now that the nuclear talks can’t be further prolonged because of advances in Iran’s nuclear work.
Write to Laurence Norman at laurence.norman@wsj.com
