Iran nuclear deal could be reached this week: EU foreign policy chief

By Alysa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - The EU foreign policy chief on Tuesday said that a nuclear deal with Iran could be reached as early as this week.

Earlier this month, the EU sent "a final text" to revive the 2015 deal, which would see Iran scale back its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Last week, Iran responded to the text and said: "OK, with a few adjustments," Josep Borrell explained to Spanish broadcaster TVE.

On Monday, Borrell also said he considered Iran's response "reasonable."

The final text and Iran's responses were then sent to all the parties negotiating the deal, including China, Russia, Germany, France and the UK.

According to Borrell, the "majority" agree with Iran's adjustments.

However, the deal's success now hinges on the American response, which Borrell said the EU expects this week.

If the US gives the deal the green light, millions of barrels of Iranian oil could flow into world markets, alleviating the high oil prices that have been pushing up inflation globally.

On Monday, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said that the US is "encouraged by the fact that Iran appears to have dropped some of its non-starter demands."

However, "there are still some outstanding issues that must be resolved," he added.

"We are working as quickly as we can, as methodically as we can and as carefully as we can see to it that our response is complete. It takes into account the Iranian feedback and we'll provide that to the EU as soon as we're able," he explained.

Price said that had the Iranian response been "a clear yes," there wouldn't have been the need for "back and forth."

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani accused the US of "procrastination."