WEB DESK

The US has called on Iran’s new President Ebrahim Raisi to return to talks on reviving a historic nuclear deal. A spokesman for the US state department said that window for diplomacy would not remain open forever. Tensions between the US and Iran have soared since 2018, when the then-President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal and restored sanctions.

Ebrahim Raisi who was sworn in yesterday as Iran’s new President said that he would support any diplomatic plans to end sanctions on Iran. All illegal US sanctions against the Iranian nation must be lifted, he said.

Tehran denies the charge of Western countries that Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons. The 2015 deal between Iran and six other countries, the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany saw that Iran stopped some nuclear work in return for an end to sanctions hurting its economy. However, Iran re-started banned nuclear work after Mr Trump pulled out of the deal.

The negotiations have been taking place in the Austrian capital, Vienna, between Iran and other countries which are still part of the agreement to try to revive the frayed deal and lift sanctions. However the talks have been on hold for several weeks.