A former US-Iran negotiator has said that the US needs to move more quickly to maintain momentum in talks with Tehran once the funeral for former Supreme Leader Khamenei has concluded, Al Jazeera reports.

Alan Eyre, also a distinguished diplomatic fellow at the Washington-based Middle East Institute think tank, said the two sides need to be speaking more frequently and for longer than they have been.

“This is a pretty desultory process so far. I understand they have to take time off for the funeral of Ayatollah Khamenei, but after that is over, I hope that the US side really picks up the pace,” Eyre said.