The State Department announced on Monday that the US Special Envoy Rob Malley will lead Washington’s delegation to Vienna for indirect talks with Iran.

State Department Spokesman Ned Price reiterated previous comments that the US was ready to sit down for direct talks with Iran, although none were scheduled.

But Price was not upbeat of a quick result. “We don’t underestimate the scale of the challenges ahead. These are early days. We don’t anticipate an early or immediate breakthrough as these discussions, we fully expect, will be difficult.”

Asked what a successful result would look like, Price said, “compliance for compliance.” He explained that this would include a way to figure out how Iran would return to the now-defunct Iran nuclear deal.

In return, the US would also do the same and would ease crushing economic sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.