(VOVworld) – The US sent senior officials to Geneva for the first full-scale direct talks on June 9^th and 10^th with Iranian officials in decades. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman will meet with an Iranian delegation led by Vice Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. Araqchi said Sunday that the two-day talks with the US will focus on the West’s sanctions against Tehran. The talks are preparation for the next round of talks between Iran and the P5+1 group – Britain, China, France, Russia, and the US – which is scheduled for June 16^th.