The Value Of Iran's Response Makes Sense, European Union Awaits US Response Regarding Efforts To Restore The 2015 Nuclear Deal

Joseph Borrell. (Wikimedia Commons/France Diplomatie - MEAE)

JAKARTA - European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Monday he hoped the United States would respond positively to the European Union's proposal to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

Josep Borrell said Iran had given a "reasonable" response to the proposal, which follows 16 months of indirect US-Iran talks, with the European Union acting as a bridge between the two sides.

However, the contents of the proposal submitted by the European Union on August 8 have not been published.

"There was a proposal from me as the coordinator of the negotiations that said 'this is the balance we've reached, I don't think we can fix it on one side or the other'. And there was a response from Iran that I consider reasonable," Borrell said at a university event. in the city of Santander, Spain, launches Reuters August 23.

"It was transmitted to the United States which has not yet responded officially. I hope that response will end the negotiations," he added.

An EU official previously said the proposal was the bloc's "final offer" to help revive the pact suspended in 2018, by the US administration under Donald Trump.

The stakes are high, as a breakdown in nuclear talks would risk a new regional war, with Israel threatening military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapons capability.

Iran, which has long denied having such ambitions, has warned of a "devastating" response to any Israeli attack.

Earlier on Monday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani accused the United States of "procrastinating" in negotiations.

"The world would be a much safer place if we could make this deal work," Borrell said.