US prepares for 'alternatives' if Vienna talks on Iran fail

Secretary of State Blinken said while diplomacy was best option alternatives were on the table

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a press conference at the Fairmont Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, on December 14. Reuters

While talks in Vienna between the EU, Iran and the US continue, the US is preparing "alternatives" with allies in case talks on reviving a deal to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions fail, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

"We continue in this hour, on this day, to pursue diplomacy because it remains at this moment the best option, but we are actively engaging with allies and partners on alternatives," he said during a visit to Indonesia.

Mr Blinken was referring to a statement by the three European countries involved in the talks, which he said noted that "time is running out, that Iran is still not engaged in real negotiations".

"Unless there's swift progress ... the Iran nuclear agreement will become an empty shell," Mr Blinken said, referring to the statement.

Negotiations restarted on Thursday to try to revive the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers, which the US withdrew from under Donald Trump in 2018.

The new round of talks got off to a rocky start with the arrival of the new Iranian hardline government. The new negotiators introduced new plans, taking a harsher stand than the previous moderate Iranian government. Despite this, talks are continuing with cautious optimism.