TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has urged the United States to be "realistic" in Vienna discussions aimed at resurrecting the 2015 nuclear deal, technically known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

An Iranian ambassador reportedly stated in a tweet on Monday that the US's "excessive demands" could cause a pause in the Vienna talks since Iran will "never give in" to such demands. "An agreement can be struck if the United States is realistic," Amir-Abdollahian added.

On Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the US should be held accountable for the discussions' protracted nature.

In July 2015, Iran and world powers signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). However, in May 2018, former US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the agreement and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Tehran, causing the Islamic republic to back out of some of the pact's nuclear commitments in retribution. Since April 2021, Iran has had eight rounds of talks in Vienna with the remaining JCPOA countries, including China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, in order to resurrect the agreement.

Reports from Vienna in recent weeks suggested that the negotiators were "near" to reaching a deal, with only a few major problems requiring "political decisions" from the parties.

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