US, Iran begin slow march to sanctions relief

摘要

US participation in a Vienna meeting this week with the remaining participants of the Iran nuclear deal represents a crucial first step towards reviving the agreement, which guarantees sanctions relief for Iran’s oil sector. But Washington and Tehran are still not talking directly, and the clear divergence in their public messaging underscores a long road ahead before the US is ready to lift sanctions that have cut off more than 2mn b/d of Iranian exports.