Iran and the United States continue to push each other to make concessions as they face internal pressure over reviving landmark nuclear accord. Tehran, Iran – One year after representatives of Iran, the United States, and other world powers convened in Vienna to restore their 2015 nuclear deal, they have yet to finalise an agreement that for months has oscillated between being within grasp and elusive. The direct and indirect negotiations in the Austrian capital were put on “pause” by the European Union’s coordinator a month ago as multilateral issues were all but resolved and the text for an agreement was almost final. The pause was said to be aimed at finding a solution for a last-minute Russian demand that Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine would not affect future dealings with Iran. That issue was resolved within days as Moscow said it received sufficient written guarantees from Washington. But an agreement appears no closer as indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, facilitated by European officials who deliver messages, have stalled for weeks. A general view of the Iranian parliament during the opening ceremony of Iran's 11th parliament Conservatives in Iran’s parliament continue to pressure the government to adopt an unyielding stance in its negotiations with the US [File: WANA via Reuters] Iran and the US – which unilaterally abandoned the nuclear deal in 2018, imposing sanctions – still find themselves in a standoff over limited but highly important issues. Chief among them is whether a “foreign terrorist organisation” (FTO) designation on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard will be lifted. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) is an elite force that drives Iran’s influence across the region, while also wielding significant economic power within country’s borders. Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasised the issue of the Guard is a major “red line” that they will not back away from. Nevertheless, conservatives in Iran’s parliament continue to pressure the government to adopt an unyielding stance in its negotiations with the US. The administration of President Joe Biden, too, is facing pressure from many Republicans – and even a group of Democrats – over the potential prospect of lifting the designation. American officials have pointed out the IRGC will continue to remain one of the most heavily sanctioned entities in the world – as its divisions, subsidiaries and commanders are also hit by a variety of other designations, like those dealing with human rights – even if the FTO designation is revoked. Meanwhile, both Iran and the US continue to blame each other for the persisting delay, saying the other side must see reason and make concessions. On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed scepticism about getting a deal done.