Iran nuclear talks to resume in Qatar after hiatus

Indirect talks between Iran and the U.S. aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal will resume Tuesday in Qatar with the EU serving as mediator.

State of play: U.S. Iran envoy Rob Malley arrived in Doha on Monday and met with the Qatari foreign minister ahead of the resumption of talks. Senior State Department officials tell Axios they agreed to explore the paths forward during the Doha talks, but stressed that they have low expectations.

• Qatar has been working behind the scenes in recent months to use its close relations with both the U.S. and Iran in order to try and bridge the gaps left over from numerous rounds of talks in Vienna.
• But aside from coming back to the table after a three month-long hiatus, the Iranians didn't present any dramatically different positions during a visit to Tehran this weekend by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, according to a U.S. official.

What they're saying: Borrell said at the end of his visit that Iran's demand that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps be removed from a U.S. terror blacklist remains a sticking point that will have to be discussed in Qatar.

• Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, meanwhile, said Monday that he hoped the U.S. and Europeans would show "realistic behavior" so that an agreement can be reached.