The remaining parties to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal plan to meet on Friday to adjourn talks on salvaging the deal, three diplomats said on Thursday, according to Reuters.
The indirect US-Iran talks on bringing both back into full compliance with the deal are in their seventh round. One of the diplomats said they were due to resume on December 27, while another gave a time frame between Christmas and the New Year.
The talks in Vienna resumed last week after a five-month pause following the election of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Iran has gradually scaled back its compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with world powers in response to former US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the agreement in May of 2018.
Iran has repeatedly demanded that the US lift sanctions imposed on Iran and also reassure Iran it will not abandon the deal again as a precondition for its returning to compliance with the deal.
On Monday, diplomats from the western European countries negotiating with Tehran said that Iran's positions in the talks are "inconsistent" with the terms of the deal.
On Sunday, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told Iran that there was still time to save the 2015 nuclear deal but warned that this is the last chance for Iranian negotiators to come to the table with serious proposals.
"This is the last chance for Iran to come to the negotiating table with a serious resolution to this issue, which has to be agreeing the terms of the JCPOA," said Truss, adding, "This is their last chance and it is vital that they do so. We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon."
US officials have said that while they prefer the diplomatic route to reach an agreement with Iran, there are other options on the table should that fail.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters recently that the United States is preparing "additional measures" against Iran should the nuclear talks not succeed.
"The president has asked his team to be prepared in the event that diplomacy fails and we must turn to other options," said Psaki, adding, "We will have no choice but to take additional measures."