Iran nuclear deal: G7 gives Iran final warning at nuclear talks

The G7 warned on Sunday that time is running out for Iran to reach an agreement on its nuclear ambitions. The negotiations resumed in Vienna on Thursday are “the last chance for the country to come up with a serious solution”. It is the first time that an ultimatum has been issued for the talks.

The foreign ministers of Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States met on Saturday and Sunday in Liverpool, UK. They tried there to form a strong, united front against global threats. On Saturday, they also declared, through British minister Liz Truss, that a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine would be a “major tactical blunder” “with serious consequences”.

Truss added the G7 position on Iran during a press conference on Sunday. Although there is “still time for Iran to reach an agreement,” she emphasized. The final communiqué of the G7 talks says that the country must “stop its nuclear escalation and seize its opportunity to strike a deal while it is still possible”.

The negotiations resumed on Thursday aim to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and several world powers. In 2018, the US withdrew from that accord under President Donald Trump. However, current US President Joe Biden has said he is ready to reach a renewed agreement. In Vienna, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, and China, under the EU presidency, mediate between Iran and the United States.

Iran also says it is open to a renewed agreement. But the country has been accused of backsliding and wasting time after previous advances. The 2015 deal restricted Iran’s nuclear activities, with the aim of preventing the development of nuclear weapons. In return, economic sanctions against Iran were lifted.