A handout picture provided by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on April 2, 2021 shows Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (center) attending a virtual meeting with the Joint Commission on Iran's nuclear program in Tehran. (IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY / AFP)

PARIS - Iran and the United States said on Friday they would hold indirect talks in Vienna from Tuesday as part of broader negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and global powers.

Representatives of Iran and world powers will meet next Tuesday in Vienna to discuss the troubled 2015 nuclear deal, Iranian and European officials said after holding virtual talks on Friday aimed at reviving the accord.

The EU official said negotiating lists of sanctions that the United States could lift and nuclear obligations that Iran should meet “should marry at some point”

Tehran has ruled out face-to-face bilateral discussions, but the presence of both Iran and the United States in the Austrian capital - welcomed by Washington as a “healthy step forward” - will help to focus efforts to bring all sides back into compliance with the accord.

The aim is to reach an agreement within two months, said a senior official with the European Union, the coordinator of the deal. Iran holds elections in June.

US President Joe Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, withdrew from the deal in 2018 and reimposed US sanctions, prompting Iran, after waiting more than a year, to violate some of the pact’s nuclear restrictions in retaliation.

“Iran and the US will be in the same town, but not the same room,” a European diplomatic source said.

A Western diplomat said a shuttle diplomacy approach would be adopted.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the talks would be structured around working groups that the EU is going to form with remaining participants, including Iran.

“Aim: Rapidly finalize sanction-lifting & nuclear measures for choreographed removal of all sanctions, followed by Iran ceasing remedial measures,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter

“We don’t anticipate an immediate breakthrough as there will be difficult discussions ahead. But we believe this is a healthy step forward,” he said in a statement, adding that Washington remained open to direct talks with Tehran.

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The EU official said negotiating lists of sanctions that the United States could lift and nuclear obligations that Iran should meet “should marry at some point”.

“In the end, we are approaching this in a parallel way. I do think we can do it in less than two months,” the official said.

The Biden administration has been seeking to engage Iran in talks about both sides resuming compliance with the deal. Under that accord, US and other economic sanctions on Tehran were removed in return for curbs on Iran’s nuclear program to make it harder to develop a nuclear weapon - an ambition Tehran denies.

Iran, China, Russia, France, Germany and Britain - all parties to the 2015 deal - discussed on Friday the possible return of the United States to the agreement and how to ensure its full and effective implementation by all sides.

READ MORE: Iran rules out talks with EU, US to revive 2015 nuclear deal

“Aim: Rapidly finalize sanction-lifting & nuclear measures for choreographed removal of all sanctions, followed by Iran ceasing remedial measures,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter. “No Iran-US meeting. Unnecessary.”

Two diplomats said the first round of talks could last several days, followed by two or three subsequent rounds in the following weeks to tackle tricky issues.

Russia’s ambassador to the UN atomic watchdog said that Friday’s talks had been businesslike and would continue.

“The impression is that we are on the right track but the way ahead will not be easy and will require intensive efforts. The stakeholders seem to be ready for that,” Mikhail Ulyanov said on Twitter.

The meeting will happen in the middle of an Easter lockdown in the Austrian capital aimed at easing pressure on hospitals from rising coronavirus cases.