“There can be a mechanism to basically either synchronise it or coordinate what can be done,” Zarif told CNN when asked in an interview how to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran. Each government wants the other to resume compliance first.

Zarif noted the agreement created a Joint Commission coordinated by the European Union foreign policy chief, now Josep Borrell. Borrell “can … sort of choreograph the actions that are needed to be taken by the US and the actions that are needed to be taken by Iran,” Zarif told CNN.

The commission includes Iran and the six other parties to the deal: Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the US.

Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear programme to make it harder for it to develop nuclear weapons in return for relief from US and other economic sanctions.

Former US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018 and reimposed US sanctions. US President Joe Biden has said that if Iran returns to strict compliance, Washington will too.