The EU foreign policy chief says he is seeking a “middle way” to end the deadlock in Vienna talks to restore the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

Josep Borrell told the Financial Times that the impasse threatens to jettison more than a year of European diplomatic efforts to seal the deal.

He said he wanted EU negotiator Enrique Mora to visit Tehran to discuss the remaining issues but Iran “was very much reluctant”, describing the diplomatic push as “the last bullet”.

“We cannot continue like this forever, because in the meantime Iran continues developing their nuclear program”, Borrell warned,

He reiterated the possibility of a scenario whereby the designation on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is lifted, but other parts of the organization, which has several arms across the security apparatus and a sprawling business empire, will remain under the sanctions.

Negotiations, which started in Vienna in April 2021 to revive the Obama-era nuclear deal, JCPOA, have been on a protracted pause since March 11, as the Islamic Republic demanded removing its Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) from the US list of terrorist organizations.

Iran says the talks have not stopped but continue at a different pace through the exchange of written messages with the Americans through the European Union representative.