Vienna-based talks break down as Tehran accuses the West of bad faith

This was said in the context of saving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal as Tehran (the capital of Iran) accuses Western powers of touching off a "blame game" and thereby stalling the talks.

Although these talks involve several European powers, they are actually indirect U.S. Iran talks geared towards upholding the pact which expressly limits Iran’s nuclear program as a prerequisite to the ending of economic sanctions.

As the talks stand, however, an impasse has been reached and both sides of the negotiating table point accusatory fingers at each other.

"Iran's continued nuclear escalation means that we are rapidly reaching the end of the road," France's ambassador to the United Nations, Nicolas de Riviere, said at the talks as he read a joint statement from Britain, France and Germany.

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"We are nearing the point where Iran’s escalation of its nuclear programme will have completely hollowed out the JCPoA," he added, referring to the pact, named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Iran takes a different view and believes that the West is being as unhelpful to reaching an agreement as then-U.S. President Donald Trump's 2018 decision to abandon any agreement and reimpose drastic U.S. sanctions.

This move by the Trump regime led to Tehran re-embarking on its nuclear program and thereby violating its nuclear restrictions soon after.

On Twitter, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, tweeted: "Some actors persist in their blame game habit, instead of real diplomacy. We proposed our ideas early, and worked constructively and flexibly to narrow gaps."

With respect to the Trump-led withdrawal, he tweeted: "Diplomacy is a two-way street. If there's real will to remedy the culprit's wrongdoing, the way for a quick, good deal will be paved."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was of a slightly different view and said Washington will continue on a diplomatic path with Tehran because "it remains, at this moment, the best option", but also added that it was "actively engaging with allies and partners on alternatives".

The situation is fast descending into high noon, a showdown is inevitable. This is especially so as the road to a new regional war heaves on the horizons.

The scepter of a trigger-happy Israel, it has attacked Arab nuclear facilities twice, adds greater gravity to the situation as it pushes for a harder stand to rein in Iran’s so called nuclear enrichment program.

On the other side of the fence, Iran's clerical rulers led by anti-Western Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, are also taking a hardline as they demand the US accept its "maximalist demands.”