<p>The United States said Thursday it was ready to meet with Iran and reversed Donald Trump's claims of new UN sanctions, providing an opening to jumpstart nuclear diplomacy.</p>.<p>Hours after Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his European counterparts, the United States welcomed a proposal to convene talks of all nations that were part of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.</p>.<p>The EU political director, Enrique Mora, afterwards proposed via Twitter an informal meeting of all participants, saying the nuclear accord was at a "critical moment" -- ahead of a weekend deadline for Iran to restrict some UN nuclear inspections.</p>.<p>"The United States would accept an invitation from the European Union High Representative to attend a meeting of the P5+1 and Iran to discuss a diplomatic way forward on Iran's nuclear program," State Department spokesman Ned Price said.</p>.<p>The group which sealed the 2015 deal includes the United States and Iran as well as Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.</p>.<p>Former President Trump withdrew from the nuclear accord and instead imposed sweeping sanctions aimed at bringing Iran to its knees.</p>.<p>But President Joe Biden has supported a return to diplomacy, saying that the 2015 accord was effective in reducing Tehran's nuclear program.</p>.<p>It remains to be seen if Iran will also be willing to sit down with the United States.</p>.<p>Iran has insisted that the United States first lift sanctions before it returns to full compliance with the 2015 accord, reversing steps it took in protest against Trump's measures.</p>.<p>In one step Thursday, the Biden administration said it was no longer contending that the United Nations had imposed new sanctions on Iran.</p>.<p>In a letter, the acting US ambassador to the United Nations, Richard Mills, said that sanctions said to be reinstated in August "remain terminated."</p>.<p>Former secretary of state Mike Pompeo had argued that the United States was still technically a participant in the 2015 accord and was triggering UN sanctions for violations.</p>.<p>Even close US allies dismissed the argument and the United Nations said that no such additional sanctions had come into force.</p>
<p>The United States said Thursday it was ready to meet with Iran and reversed Donald Trump's claims of new UN sanctions, providing an opening to jumpstart nuclear diplomacy.</p>.<p>Hours after Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his European counterparts, the United States welcomed a proposal to convene talks of all nations that were part of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.</p>.<p>The EU political director, Enrique Mora, afterwards proposed via Twitter an informal meeting of all participants, saying the nuclear accord was at a "critical moment" -- ahead of a weekend deadline for Iran to restrict some UN nuclear inspections.</p>.<p>"The United States would accept an invitation from the European Union High Representative to attend a meeting of the P5+1 and Iran to discuss a diplomatic way forward on Iran's nuclear program," State Department spokesman Ned Price said.</p>.<p>The group which sealed the 2015 deal includes the United States and Iran as well as Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.</p>.<p>Former President Trump withdrew from the nuclear accord and instead imposed sweeping sanctions aimed at bringing Iran to its knees.</p>.<p>But President Joe Biden has supported a return to diplomacy, saying that the 2015 accord was effective in reducing Tehran's nuclear program.</p>.<p>It remains to be seen if Iran will also be willing to sit down with the United States.</p>.<p>Iran has insisted that the United States first lift sanctions before it returns to full compliance with the 2015 accord, reversing steps it took in protest against Trump's measures.</p>.<p>In one step Thursday, the Biden administration said it was no longer contending that the United Nations had imposed new sanctions on Iran.</p>.<p>In a letter, the acting US ambassador to the United Nations, Richard Mills, said that sanctions said to be reinstated in August "remain terminated."</p>.<p>Former secretary of state Mike Pompeo had argued that the United States was still technically a participant in the 2015 accord and was triggering UN sanctions for violations.</p>.<p>Even close US allies dismissed the argument and the United Nations said that no such additional sanctions had come into force.</p>