TEHRAN: Iran said Monday that differences with the United States remain over the issues of lifting sanctions and obtaining guarantees in Vienna talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal.

“Important and significant issues remain regarding the removal of sanctions that have not made an agreement possible so far,” foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said at a news conference.

He reiterated calls for guarantees that the US will not withdraw from the 2015 deal, which was derailed in 2018 when the administration of then-president Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the pact.

Khatibzadeh’s remarks came as the eighth round of negations to restore the agreement — known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) — has been on pause since Friday, with the negotiators returning to their capitals for consultations.

The European Union’s coordinator for the talks, Enrique Mora, said at the time that “political decisions” are required to break the deadlock, and that talks are expected to resume this week.