Stressing that the time is running out for nuclear negotiations with Iran, a senior US official insisted on Monday that Tehran has to agree to direct talks to help forge a deal in place of the failing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA.
The official believes there are only a few weeks left to make the most critical political decisions and reach any kind of deal that would put Iran’s nuclear program on hold and ease sanctions on the country since Tehran’s program is nearing breakout toward a nuclear weapons capability.
These talks are the last effort to revive the 2015 deal – involving Iran, the United States, Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia – that had given Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program until 2018 when the US pulled out and reimposed sanctions under the Trump administration.
President Biden’s administration has helped relaunch the negotiations, but Europeans are the only ones to meet the Iranians while Washington has been taking part only indirectly since Iran refuses to meet directly with US officials.
This imposed shuttle between the two sides has prompted the US to repeatedly express frustration at the format, arguing that it slows down the process while Iran continues to dramatically step up its nuclear activities which, according to the US official, are to the point when Iran’s enrichment program is very close to producing enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon.
He stated that the US goal now is to reach an understanding quickly with the fastest way being through direct meetings. Yet, it wasn’t until a week ago when Iran said for the first time it was open to direct negotiations with the US.
Washington, in response, quickly declared itself ready to hold talks urgently.
Last week, the latest round of Vienna talks was put on hold with the EU’s coordinator calling for breaking the deadlock with political decisions, but the US official said Monday that not all of the details had been resolved, noting, however, that they can see a path to a deal if those decisions are made and quickly.
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