Session was first with delegates from new Tehran government
\nIran says aerial explosion over Natanz was air defence test
\n WASHINGTON
\nIran walked back all compromises made in previous talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, pocketed compromises made by others and asked for more in its latest proposals, a senior US state department official told reporters on Saturday.
\nIran continues to accelerate its nuclear program in pretty provocative ways and China and Russia were taken aback at how far Iran had walked back its proposals in talks in Vienna, the official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
\nDonald Trump withdrew the US from the the 2015 Iran nuclear deal in May 2018.
\nIndirect talks between Iran and the Biden administration on saving the deal broke off on Friday, as European officials voiced dismay on at sweeping demands by Iran\u2019s new, hardline government.
\nThe seventh round of talks in Vienna is the first with delegates sent by Iran\u2019s anti-western president, Ebrahim Raisi, on how to resuscitate the agreement under which Iran limited its nuclear program in return for relief from economic sanctions.
\nIran came \u201cwith proposals that walked back anything \u2013 any of the compromises Iran had floated here in the six rounds of talks, pocket all of the compromises that others, and the US in particular, had made, and then asked for more\u201d, the senior US official said.
\nThe official told reporters he did not know when the next round of talks would resume \u2013 other officials had said they would reconvene next week \u2013 and stressed the date was less important than Iran\u2019s willingness to negotiate seriously.
\nOn Saturday, Iranian air defences fired a missile as part of an exercise over the central town of Natanz, which houses nuclear installations, state TV reported after local residents reported hearing a large blast.
\nState TV said air defence units fired the missile to test a rapid reaction force over Natanz.
\n\u201cSuch exercises are carried out in a completely secure environment \u2026 and there is no cause for concern,\u201d an army spokesman, Shahin Taqikhani, said.
\nIranian news agencies earlier reported a large explosion in the sky above Natanz, but said there was no official explanation of the incident. The semi-official Fars news agency quoted its reporter in nearby Badroud as saying a short blast was heard which was accompanied by an intense light in the sky.
\nThe Islamic Republic says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.
\nIsrael opposed the original 2015 Iran nuclear accord with world powers, which aimed to curb Iran\u2019s nuclear programme in return for lifting sanctions against Tehran, as too limited in scope and duration.
\nIsraeli leaders have long threatened military action against Iran if they deem diplomacy a dead end for denying it nuclear weaponry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Session was first with delegates from new Tehran government Iran says aerial explosion over Natanz was air defence test WASHINGTON Iran walked back all compromises made in previous talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, pocketed compromises made by others and asked for more in its latest proposals, a senior US state department official told […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":231256,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[1227,1349,444],"class_list":{"0":"post-231244","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-iran","9":"tag-prior","10":"tag-us"},"yoast_head":"\n