Iran says Josep Borrell to make surprise visit Friday

• The visit is part of ongoing consultations between Iran and the European Union.
• Talks will focus on bilateral relations, regional and international issues, as well as the latest status of negotiations to lift sanctions.

Iran said that Josep Borrell, who is in charge of EU foreign policy, will fly to Tehran on Friday to talk about efforts to bring back the 2015 nuclear agreement.

Saeed Khatibzadeh, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said that Borrell would arrive in Tehran at night and meet with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and other officials.

“The visit, which is part of ongoing consultations between Iran and the European Union, will focus on bilateral relations, some regional and international issues, as well as the latest status of negotiations to lift sanctions, according to the statement.

Read more: Iran says ‘serious’ about reaching revived nuclear deal

Initiated in April of last year, the discussions in Vienna aim to bring the United States back to the nuclear deal, including through the lifting of sanctions against Iran, and to ensure Tehran’s full compliance with its obligations.

Since March, the negotiations have been stuck due to differences between Tehran and Washington, most notably Iran’s demand that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be removed from a US terror list.

Amir-Abdollahian stated on Wednesday that Iran was “serious” about negotiating an agreement.

“The nuclear negotiations train has reached difficult stops as they near the end,” he remarked.

Enrique Mora, the European Union’s coordinator for the negotiations, tweeted a photo of himself with Borrell and US negotiator Robert Malley in Brussels on the same day.

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