Iran, US running out of time to secure deal: UN nuclear chief

GROSSI SAYS DELEGATIONS AT A CRUCIAL STAGE OF NEGOTIATIONS

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UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said yesterday that Iran and the United States were running out of time to secure a deal as they prepare to hold fresh nuclear talks this weekend.

Iranian and US delegations are to gather in Rome tomorrow for a second round of Oman-mediated negotiations, a week after the longtime foes held their highest-level talks since US President Donald Trump abandoned a landmark nuclear accord in 2018.

"We are in a very crucial stage of these important negotiations. We know we don't have much time, this is why I am here ... to facilitate this process," Grossi said on a visit to Tehran.

"We are working hard and we want to succeed," he told a joint news conference with Iran's atomic energy agency chief Mohammad Eslami, acknowledging that the search for a deal was "not an easy process".