The European Union’s political director Helga Schmid and Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, from left, wait for a bilateral meeting as part of the closed-door nuclear talks with Iran in Vienna, Austria. Picture: Ronald Zak/AP

Vienna – World powers pressured Iran on Friday to reverse recent atomic activities that violate the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, but stopped short of deciding on whether to proceed with a move that could see the case brought before the UN Security Council and a “snapback” of sanctions that had been lifted under the accord, according to a Chinese official.

Fu Cong told reporters after the meeting that brought together Iran with the five powers remaining in the deal that China had argued against invoking the so-called dispute resolution mechanism of the agreement.

“Iran has made it very clear that all the actions are reversible and that they are ready to come back to full compliance,” he told reporters.

The agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, has been unraveling since the unilateral withdrawal of the United States last year and the re-imposition of American sanctions, which has left Iran’s economy struggling.

In response, Iran has recently exceeded the stockpiles of uranium and heavy water allowed by the deal, and has started enriching uranium at a purity level beyond what is permitted.