More talks likely needed to secure new Iran nuclear deal: US

The United States said on Thursday that it is anticipating the need for another round of talks to secure a revival of the Iran nuclear deal, according to US State Department spokesman Ned Price.

A diplomat from the European Union has suggested that a deal could be reached at the sixth round of talks, while other diplomats have said that the most challenging decisions are yet to be made. 

"We expect there will be a sixth. I think there's just about every expectation that there will be subsequent rounds beyond that," Price said at a press conference.

Price emphasised that while progress is being felt, blockages to a solution remained, not helped by the fact that Iran continued to refuse direct talks with the US. 

"There is no lack of distrust between and among Iran and the other partners and allies with whom we're working on this," said Price. 

"The fact is that we have made progress. The past rounds have helped to crystallise the choices that Iran would need to make, the steps that Iran would need to take to resume its own compliance with the nuclear deal, the steps that it would need once again to be subject to this stringent verification and monitoring regime,"  he continued. 

European Union diplomats have presented a more optimistic opinion of the talks' progress. 

"I am sure that the next round will be the one in which we will finally get a deal," said Enrique Mora, chief coordinator of the talks, on Wednesday. 

Although Mora’s counterparts from the UK, France, and Germany were more wary about declaring success. 

"We have continued to make progress and important parts of a future deal have now been fleshed out, but the most difficult decisions lie ahead. We have of course worked based on the principle of nothing is agreed to (until) all is agreed," the diplomats said in a statement.

Talks in Vienna are aimed are reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from in 2018, and reimposed harsh sanctions on Tehran.

In exchange for a reduction in Iranian nuclear activity, the US is offering to give sanctions relief.