Iranian nuclear program .. Tehran insists on lifting all sanctions, Washington sees a potential "deadlock", and delegations are preparing for new negotiations.

Delegations returned to their countries to consult with the conclusion of the Vienna talks on the nuclear agreement, as Tehran insists on lifting all sanctions imposed on it, which Washington considered would lead to a deadlock, and for its part, the International Atomic Energy Agency warned of a new Iranian violation of the agreement.

After 4 days of discussions, the meetings of the parties to the nuclear agreement with Iran were concluded in Vienna, after the participants on the last day reviewed the perceptions presented by the expert committees regarding the steps that could be taken to reach a roadmap for the return of the United States to the agreement.

Tehran is demanding the unconditional return of Washington to the agreement, and the lifting of sanctions, which numbered 1,600 forms of sanctions.

In new statements on Saturday morning, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said that maintaining the positiveness of the Vienna talks is possible provided that Washington is ready to abide by its commitments in the agreement, considering that the talks are moving in the right direction and that the "4 + 1" group has taken positive steps.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also renewed saying that there is no need or need for any direct negotiations with Washington regarding its return to the nuclear agreement.

On the other hand, a senior US official - whose identity has not been revealed - said in a statement to reporters on Friday evening that the United States sees some indications of Iran's seriousness during the indirect talks in Vienna, but they are not sufficient.

He added that there is a major question mark about Tehran's repeated request to Washington to lift all the sanctions imposed since 2017, considering that if it insisted on this, "then we are going to an impasse."

The US official stated that his country intends to lift sanctions that are inconsistent with the nuclear agreement, noting that this does not mean the lifting of all sanctions imposed on Iran since 2017.

Talks resume

In turn, US State Department spokeswoman Galina Porter said that Washington expects to resume working-group talks with Iran next week, as delegations return to their countries for consultations.

And the US State Department announced Thursday that it is expected to resume Iran talks in Vienna within days, and perhaps next week.

Russia's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mikhail Ulyanov, said that the countries participating in the meetings are satisfied with the initial achievement of the committees' work, indicating that the nuclear agreement committee will meet next week to maintain the positive momentum achieved.

"This time, we shifted from talking about restoring the nuclear deal to starting practical steps in this direction," he added.

For his part, the delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency Wang Chun said, "All parties have reduced their differences, and we are in fact witnessing a state of momentum for a gradual consensus that is taking shape," adding that discussions will be intense between the two working groups and senior diplomats next week.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also said in a statement that the diplomats would reconvene on Wednesday in Vienna, expecting the talks to continue for weeks.

Diplomats hope to reach an agreement before the Iranian presidential election on June 18, and a senior European diplomat said, "Given the technical complexity of the nuclear aspects and the legal complexities of lifting the sanctions, it would be extremely optimistic to think that the mission will be completed within a few weeks."

Russia's delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency Mikhail Ulyanov during his participation in Vienna (Reuters)

New violation

On the other hand, a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Friday indicated a new Iranian violation of the nuclear agreement, related to what is officially counted within Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium.

The French Foreign Ministry said after the conclusion of the Vienna talks that the new Iranian provocations should not undermine the first "positive" week of negotiations, adding, "The most important thing in this context is Iran's refraining from any further violation of nuclear obligations that might undermine the current movement."

The former UN weapons inspector David Albright said that the latest breach also raises questions about what world powers excluded from the enriched uranium stockpile. "If we look back, this exemption of enriched uranium near the purity of 20% was not a good idea," he said.