Iranian officials are reporting little progress with negotiators representing the European sides to the nuclear deal, as the Sept. 6 deadline set by Tehran looms large. Iran has already warned that if the ongoing talks bear no fruit, it will suspend more commitments it has honored since 2015 under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
President Hassan Rouhani, whose government has been scrambling to salvage the accord after the United States abandoned it last May, said the new measures will be "extremely important." Addressing a Cabinet meeting in Tehran Sept. 4, Rouhani warned that the "third step" will see the Iranian nuclear program proceed with an "extraordinary accelerated" pace.