US, Iran Return to Nuclear Talks at EU Behest

US sees nothing lost by continuing to negotiate

With EU managing the process, the US and Iran have returned to Vienna for nuclear talks. Both sides agree a breakthrough is unlikely.

There may not need to be one, though, as US officials say the negotiations are effectively done anyhow. That’s reported to have been the case for months, with a deal just waiting to be finalized.

US officials say they’ve lost nothing by keeping in the talks, though they also keep warning time is running out. Iran doesn’t recognize any deadline.

The deal is there to be had. To increase pressure on the matter, the US keeps imposing new sanctions, and Iran upgrades its enrichment process.

Neither side’s going to get what it wants without making a deal, but there remains a comfort in not making a deal, needlessly dragging the process on.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.