White House skeptical Iran ready to restart nuclear talks

By AAMER MADHANI
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is responding skeptically after Iran’s chief negotiator announced that Tehran is ready to return to nuclear negotiations in Vienna by the end of next month. Ali Bagheri, Iran’s deputy foreign minister and chief negotiator for the talks, said in a Twitter posting that Iran has agreed to start negotiations by the end of November and a date for a resumption of talks “would be announced in the course of the next week.” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said administration officials are waiting for European officials to confirm that Iran is indeed ready to resume talks, which are aimed at bringing both Washington and Tehran back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal.