It took six weeks of back-and-forth statements to get to this point, but U.S. and Iranian diplomats have finally met in person with a view to resuscitating the Iran nuclear deal. In a sign of how little trust there is between the parties, the U.S. and Iranian delegations are relying on the Europeans to shuttle position papers back and forth. The aim is to find a mechanism that matches U.S. sanctions relief to Iranian nuclear concessions.

The Biden administration’s position on this entire affair has been clear: If the Iranians come back into compliance with their nuclear commitments, the U.S. would do the same by lifting sanctions enacted by the Trump administration. While Iranian officials are largely fine with the concept of a compliance-for-compliance agreement, they have been adamant that Washington take the first step. The White House, concerned about upsetting the hawkish crowd at home, continues to press for a different road map, whereby Washington and Tehran take steps simultaneously. The State Department doesn’t expect a diplomatic breakthrough to occur this week.