Iran, P5+1 begin draf for removing sanctions: Negotiator

Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers have started drafting the text of the mechanism for removing the sanctions imposed on Tehran over its peaceful nuclear programme, a senior Iranian nuclear negotiator said.

The US negotiation delegation gave the Iranian nuclear team "very useful" explanations regarding the removal of anti-Iran sanctions, Press TV cited Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi as saying after meetings with representatives of the P5+1 group in this Austrian capital on Friday.

"This time we only worked on the question of sanctions but the fact is that we had worked on other issues some months ago; I think in July last year. We have already drafted some parts of our text.

"We had already done some drafting in the past, but then it was stopped because we had no solution on major issues. Now we have solutions in almost all issues. What we have to do is to write down these solutions in the form of a draft of an agreement. We have also started now from the sanctions and we will go to other issues next time," Araqchi said.

He added that the American and European negotiators resolved some ambiguities regarding the lifting of sanctions.

He said there were also positive talks about a resolution passed by the US Senate foreign relations committee, which would be discussed on the Senate floor next week and was intended to give US Congress a final say over a possible nuclear accord with Iran.

"Some remarks by officials in the US created lots of question marks, and also the act by the Congress to introduce a new bill... which actually added to this complicated situation," he said.

Araqchi further noted that the negotiating sides have made steady, but slow progress, adding, "We are working on a dispute settlement mechanism for possibility of violations."

Representatives of Iran and the P5+1 group -- the US, Britian, Russia, France, China plus Germany -- held intense talks here for the third day in their latest round of negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme.

The talks in Vienna are aimed at drafting the text of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) according to the parameters set through a mutual understanding reached in the Swiss city of Lausanne on April 2.