VIENNA: A senior US official that the Vienna talks over the Iran nuclear deal were productive, and hoped that Tehran would show a more constructive attitude in discussions scheduled next week.
The indirect discussion between the United states and Iran over respective steps to revive the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), were just preliminary steps but "productive and businesslike", a senior state department official told reporters in a briefing on Friday.
"At the same time, a question still remains about whether the seriousness of purpose and the intent of coming back into compliance that the US showed will be reciprocated by Iran," the official said.
"We saw some signs of but certainly not enough." The official reiterated that Washington is prepared to lift those sanctions that are inconsistent with the nuclear deal, reports Xinhua news agency.
"Without getting into specifics, I would say that that's our position, all sanctions that are inconsistent with the JCPOA and are inconsistent with the benefits that Iran expects from the JCPOA, we are prepared to lift," the official said, adding but "that doesn't mean all of them because there are some that are legitimate sanctions".
Meanwhile, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi also said on Friday that Tehran will not stop parts of its current nuclear activities until the US lifts sanctions and returns to the deal.
On Friday, the diplomatic representatives of Iran, the UK, China, France, Russia and Germany, resumed talks in Vienna with the lifting of sanctions on Iran and nuclear implementation measures on top of the agenda.
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