The United States expects Iran to reduce its stockpile of low enriched uranium to the levels required under a deal with major powers by a June 30 deadline, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.
"If they don't, that'll be a problem," State Department
spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters at her daily briefing, saying the Iranians had always gotten to the prescribed levels under interim nuclear deals. "We expect that they will."
Talks among officials from world powers on curbing Iran's controversial nuclear program resumed in Vienna on Wednesday, and the Iranian delegation will join the negotiations on Thursday, U.S. and European Union officials said.
U.S. negotiator Wendy Sherman and Helga Schmid, the EU'spolitical director, were part of the meetings on Wednesday inthe latest round of talks, which are in their final month beforea June 30 deadline for a deal with Iran.
Questions arose over whether a deal could be reached on timeafter U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry broke his leg a dayafter talks with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif,in Geneva over the weekend.
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said on Wednesdayshe was confident Kerry would be "part of these talks at theend."
