U.S. hopes Iran seizes opportunity for diplomacy now

FILE PHOTO: The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner

The U.S. State Department said on Thursday that it hopes Iran will now seize the opportunity to seek diplomatic solutions and will return to Vienna talks on resuming compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

"The opportunity to achieve a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA won't last forever," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters at a regular briefing, referring to the deal by its formal name: the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis, Doyinsola Oladipo; Editing by Arshad Mohammed and Chris Reese)