Iran, IAEA to Hold Talks in Vienna 

A delegation from Iran is slated to travel to Vienna, Austria, in the coming days for talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency about the outstanding safeguards issues, Iran’s top diplomat said. 
“We hope that the IAEA can move through this stage of the course of cooperation with a technical view and based on what had been previously agreed about addressing issues surrounding certain accusations by this agency about Iran’s peaceful nuclear activity,” Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Wednesday, IRNA reported. 
The global nuclear watchdog has claimed it has found nuclear material at three undeclared sites in Iran which goes against its obligations under the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. 
The director general has once dismissed Iran’s explanations as uncredible, paving the way for the passing of a resolution at the IAEA Board of Governors against the country in June. 
Iran insists that the probe into the nuclear traces needs to end before any agreement on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 
The deal curbed Iran’s nuclear activity in return for sanctions relief, but the US reimposed tough bans after quitting the agreement in 2018. 
Negotiations in Vienna on restoring the JCPOA have been stalled for months over final differences, including the IAEA investigation into the alleged uranium traces. 
Amir-Abdollahian said despite US contradictory statements, the exchange of messages on reaching the final steps of agreement is underway through the European Union coordinator. 
“In a few minutes, I will hold talks and consultation with Mr. [Josep] Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief and coordinator of talks, about the latest status of negotiations and the needed arrangements,” he said. 
Iran’s top negotiator, Ali Baqeri Kani, also said in a recent gathering that Tehran has sent initiatives to the coordinator in the past days with the aim of advancing and concluding the Vienna talks.