Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov shakes hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian during a joint news conference in Moscow, Russia on March 15, 2022. Photo: Reuters/Maxim Shemetov/Pool

i24 News – Iran’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that two issues remain with the United States in paused negotiations to restore the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.

“We had four issues as our red lines,” but “two issues have been almost resolved,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was quoted as saying by Iran’s state news agency, the Islamic Republic News Agency.

 He added that “two issues remain, including [an] economic guarantee.”

On Tuesday, Amir-Abdollahian met with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow after nuclear talks with Tehran were temporarily paused.

Discussions between Iran and world powers on a potential revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — the 2015 deal that placed temporary limits on Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief — were placed on hold last week in Vienna.

The pause initially sparked concerns that talks arrived at an impasse, but on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh explained that the move does not indicate that the parties are stuck in a deadlock.

Following his Tuesday meeting with his Russian counterpart, Iran’s foreign minister said that the outcome of the Vienna talks depends on the US.

“More than ever, ball is in US court to provide the responses needed for successful conclusion of the talks,” the official said on his Twitter account.