WASHINGTON: Washington denied suggestions it is stalling a potential agreement to resurrect Iran nuclear deal after a “final” draft was circulated, but said outstanding questions remain.

“Notion that we have delayed this negotiation in any way is just not true,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price. After EU sent proposed text to both Tehran and Washington in late July, Iran “responded with several comments,” Price said, without being specific. “This is why it has taken us some additional time to review those comments and to determine our response of our own,” he said.

“We are seriously reviewing those comments.” Earlier, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is leading effort to bring United States and Iran together in agreement, suggested Washington was now slowing process. “There was an Iranian response that I considered reasonable to transmit to United States,” he said. “United States has not formally replied yet. But we are waiting for their response and I hope that response will allow us to finish negotiation, I hope so, but I can’t assure you of it.

” However, Price added, “there are still some outstanding issues that must be resolved, some gaps that must be bridged, if we are able to get there.” “We are working as quickly as we can to put together an appropriate response to Iranian paper,” he said.–Agencies

Published in The Daily National Courier, August, 24 2022

Like Business on Facebook, follow @DailyNCourier on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.