EU’s Borrell says nuclear agreement with Iran very close

The European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Saturday (March 26) that Iran and world powers were very close to an agreement on reviving their 2015 nuclear deal, which would curb Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for lifting tough sanctions.

Now we are very close to an agreement and I hope it will be possible, because now we are discussing about collateral issues that have nothing to do with the core of the nuclear deal, Borrell told the audience of the Doha Forum international conference.

So, I think I can bring (a deal), I hope, but the work has been hard and we are reaching an end, Borrell said.

The nuclear talks had been close to an agreement until Russia made last minute demands of the United States, insisting that sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine should not affect its trade with Iran.

Enrique Mora, the EU coordinator for the nuclear talks said on Friday (March 25) he will travel to Tehran on Saturday to meet Iran’s chief negotiator.