A technician works at the Nuclear Technology Center of Isfahan in Iran. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

A State Department spokesperson said that meeting directly would allow the "more efficient communication" needed to reach an understanding on what is needed to resuscitate the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

The same day, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said, “If we get to a stage where reaching a good deal with strong guarantees necessitates direct talks with the US, we will consider it.”