The European Union, which oversees the Iranian nuclear negotiations in Vienna, announced a "pause" on Friday March 11, when Moscow's request for additional guarantees complicated the deal.

"We have to take a break from the talks due to external factors," tweeted EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

"A final text is almost ready and on the table", he added, saying to remain "in contact" with the various parties and the United States "to overcome the current situation and reach an agreement".

Moscow interferences

Just a week ago, diplomats were talking about an imminent agreement, but the next day Moscow, an essential pillar of the negotiations, cast a chill.

Russia, hit by Western sanctions after its invasion of Ukraine, has thus requested American guarantees that these retaliatory measures would not affect its economic cooperation with Iran.

Requests deemed "off topic" by the head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, but which put a stop to the discussions.

>> To read also: "What does Iran lack to acquire nuclear weapons?"

Tehran has been engaged for eleven months in talks in Vienna (Austria) with the major powers to try to save the 2015 agreement.

Concluded by Iran on one side, and the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, Russia and Germany on the other, this pact was supposed to prevent Tehran from acquiring the bomb atomic in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions which are suffocating its economy.

But it crumbled after the 2018 withdrawal of Washington, which reinstated its measures against Iran.

In response, Iran gradually freed itself from the limits imposed on its nuclear program.

"The break can provide the momentum to resolve the remaining issues"

On leaving Coburg Palace, where the talks are taking place, Russian negotiator Mikhail Ulyanov denounced "attempts to blame everything" on Moscow.

"The conclusion of the agreement does not depend only on Russia," he insisted, assuring that he was in favor of a "rapid" conclusion.

For its part, Iran, close to Russia, finds itself in a difficult position and on Thursday blamed the United States, which would have formulated "new demands".

On Friday, the spokesman for Iranian Foreign Affairs, Said Khatibzadeh, wanted to be reassuring.

“No external factor will affect our common wish for a collective agreement,” he reacted on Twitter.

"The break can provide the momentum to resolve the remaining issues."

The United States, which participates indirectly in the talks, had for its part reaffirmed Thursday that an "agreement" remained "close".

“We urge all parties, including of course the Russian Federation, to focus on resolving outstanding issues to achieve our common goal of ensuring that Iran is permanently and verifiably prevented to obtain a nuclear weapon", insisted the spokesman of the American diplomacy, Ned Price.

With AFP

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