Rouhani Concedes No New Nuclear Deal Under His Presidency: BBG

Bloomberg Politics reporting that outgoing Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has conceded at his final Cabinet meeting that his administration will not be able to reach a new nuclear deal with the signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (the Iran nuclear deal, JCPoA) by the time he leaves office in early August.

• Bloomberg reports Rouhani as stating that "the table has been set" for a deal to be reached and that "we hope, God willing, that the 13th government can complete the work,".
• There is widespread expectation that talks in Vienna between Iran and the JCPoA signatories (China, France, Germany, Russia, and the UK) can resume in mid-August. There remains uncertainty, though, as to the stance of the Iranian negotiators once hardline President-Elect Ebrahim Raisi comes to office.
• Earlier in the month, Rouhani appeared to blame conservative hardliners in parliament - supportive of Raisi - for not getting a deal agreed in H121. Rouhani was shown on state TV saying that "They [the hardliners] snatched the opportunity from the hands [of the gov't]. Four, five, six months of opportunities have been lost, which we sorely regret."