BERLIN: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that he believes it is still possible to revive the Iran nuclear deal, even after "slight progress" in talks following a meeting with European allies in Berlin.
"In my own assessment, speaking to all of our colleagues, it is possible to return to mutual compliance," Blinken told reporters.
“We have seen, I would say, some modest progress in the negotiations over the past few weeks”, he said.
Speaking at a joint news conference, German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock said "immediate progress" was needed in talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.
"The window for finding solutions is closing," she said.
"Negotiations are at a crucial stage. We need immediate, immediate progress, otherwise we will not be able to reach a joint agreement."
Blinken agreed it was a "decisive moment" in the talks, adding "time is running out" to reach a deal.
His remarks came a day after US President Joe Biden insisted "some progress is being made" on talks with Iran.
Negotiations to restore the agreement between Tehran and world powers - the United States, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany - began last year but stalled in June as Iran elected ultra-conservative President Ibrahim Raisi .
Negotiations on the agreement, known as the JCPOA, resumed in November.
Blinken said last week that there were only "a few weeks left" to salvage the deal, and that the US was ready to consider "other options" if talks fail.
The deal provided Iran with much-needed relief from sanctions crippling its economy in return for curbing its nuclear program.
The unilateral withdrawal from the deal by then US President Donald Trump in 2018 prompted Tehran to back down from its commitments.
Tehran is seeking verification of the easing of sanctions, as well as a guarantee that Washington will not back down from the deal again.
Bairbock said progress was being hindered by the fact that "Iran, in parallel with the talks, is unfortunately starting a spiral of nuclear escalation".
Western powers have complained of a slow process in negotiations at a time when Iran has accelerated its nuclear work, for example by increasing uranium enrichment.
The West wants Iran to meet a range of requirements, including dismantling its advanced centrifuges.