France warns Iran as talks continue on salvaging the nuclear deal

Agencies | Paris

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

France yesterday reminded Iran that “time is running out” for salvaging the 2015 nuclear deal, despite making some progress.

The eighth round of talks between Iran and the United States resumed on Monday after adding new Iranian demands to a working text.

“We have been heading in a positive direction in the last few days, but time is of the essence because if we don’t get an accord quickly, there will be nothing to negotiate,” Jean-Yves Le Drian, French foreign minister, told BFM TV and RMC Radio.

Western powers have said progress was too slow, and negotiators had “weeks, not months” left before the 2015 deal becomes meaningless. Iran refuses to meet directly with US officials, meaning that other parties - Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, must shuttle between the two sides.

Western diplomats have indicated they are hoping to have a breakthrough by the end of January or early February, but sharp differences remain with the toughest issues still unresolved.

Iran has rejected any deadline imposed by Western powers. Ready for talks over downed airline: Iran Meanwhile, in another development, Iran yesterday said it was prepared to hold bilateral talks with concerned countries over a Ukrainian airliner downed by its forces in 2020.

Canada, Britain, Sweden and Ukraine said on Thursday they had abandoned efforts to talk to Tehran about reparations for an airliner brought down by Iran and would try to settle the matter according to international law.

Most of the 176 people killed when Iran shot down the Ukrainian airliner in January 2020 were citizens from those four nations, which formed a group aiming to hold Tehran to account.