Iran nuclear talks restart in Vienna
Fresh talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers restarted on Monday, with the EU chair saying he felt "extremely positive" while admitting that "difficult issues" have yet to be tackled.
The talks in Vienna are the first since Iran paused them in June after the election of ultraconservative new President Ebrahim Raisi. Diplomats at the time had said they were "close" to an agreement.
Iran ignored appeals from Western countries to restart the talks for several months, all the while strengthening the capabilities of its nuclear programme. In August, Raisi said Iran was again open to talks.
Along with Iran, diplomats from Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia attended the meeting.
Enrique Mora, the EU official chairing the talks, said there was "a sense of urgency in bringing the JCPOA back to life" and added that he felt "extremely positive".
However, he admitted that "there are still difficult issues ahead".
French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Raisi to return to fulfilling Tehran's obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal "without delay", his office said.
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