World powers and Iran were very close to agreement to reviving nuclear deal, said EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, on Saturday.

The nuclear deal was struck between Iran and world powers including the US in the year 2015. But former US president Donald Trump took US out of the deal in 2018.

Revival of the deal would curb Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for lifting tough sanctions.

The nuclear talks had been close to an agreement until Russia made last-minute demands of the United States, insisting that sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine should not affect its trade with Iran.

Borrell made the comments when addressing the Doha Forum international conference on Saturday.

Enrique Mora, the EU coordinator for the nuclear talks said on Friday he will travel to Tehran on Saturday to meet Iran’s chief negotiator.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said this week that a nuclear deal can be reached in the short term if the United States is pragmatic.

But US officials have been more cautious in their assessment of efforts to revive the accord.