US begins rapprochement with Iran to revive nuclear deal
"The United States would accept an invitation from the European Union High Representative to attend a meeting to discuss a diplomatic track on Iran's nuclear programme," said State Department spokesman Ned Price in a statement issued on Thursday. The Biden administration was thus expressing its willingness to enter into negotiations with Iran to begin the process of rejoining the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which former President Trump abandoned in 2018 after accusing Iran of violating the agreement.
The Republican then imposed tough sanctions on the Tehran regime. In response, Iran advanced its nuclear project and began enriching uranium above the levels stipulated in the deal. President Biden, for his part, has opted for a disruptive strategy and has reiterated that he would lift sanctions if the Ayatollahs' country once again complied with the terms of the agreement.
Therefore, after the Trump administration's impasse, President Biden intends to reactivate the nuclear agreement reached with Iran and supported by the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia and China. These countries will be part of the dialogue table. The US State Department said it would "discuss the best way forward with respect to Iran's nuclear programme" and that the goal is to "open the way to try to get back to a situation where the United States and Iran are again in compliance with the nuclear agreement".
The US State Department has also issued a communiqué together with the foreign ministers of Germany, France and the United Kingdom in which they assert their interest in "upholding the nuclear non-proliferation regime and ensuring that Iran can never develop a nuclear weapon". In the letter, they warn Tehran to return to its commitments under the JCPOA, following Iran's recent announcement to limit nuclear inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 23 February, a decision described as "dangerous in nature".
US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Mills sent a letter to the Security Council informing it of the withdrawal of Trump's announcement of sanctions on Iran on 19 September. The overwhelming majority of the 15-nation council members then called Trump's action illegal, as the US was no longer a party to the JCPOA.
When sanctions are lifted, "we will immediately reverse all corrective measures. Simple," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. Tehran's foreign policy representative demanded that the E3 - the UK, France and Germany - honour their commitments and end the "economic terrorism" initiated by Trump against Iran. "Our corrective measures are a response to US and E3 violations. Eliminate the cause if you fear the effect," he added.
Earlier, Zarif himself stated that the US not only failed to meet its obligations, but continues Trump's "maximum failed pressure" despite claiming it is ready to revive the nuclear deal. "Therefore, the Europeans should bear in mind that pressure on Iran does not work, nor do useless comments of any use," Zarif said, adding, "As soon as we see steps by the United States and Europe to fulfil their obligations, we will react immediately. and return to our commitments."
Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh reminded on Twitter that the US is no longer a party to the JCPOA: "Trump walked out of the room and tried to blow it up". He added that if they want to return to the agreement they must "lift sanctions". For his part, President Hassan Rohani has assured that the possible suspension of an additional protocol to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) will not imply the expulsion of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors from the country.
"What will happen is that Iran will stop implementing the additional protocol on 23 February, but no (IAEA) inspector will be expelled". The Iranian authorities "are not pursuing secret nuclear activities". "Not yesterday, not today, not tomorrow. It is our final decision, whether the United States, Europe and the United Nations want it or not," Rohani was quoted as saying by the Iranian news agency Tasnim.
Since Biden came to power, the US and Iran have been exchanging statements on the question of who should take the first step to revive the nuclear deal. Iran argues that it is up to the US to steer the negotiations back on track and give in after abandoning the deal. The US, for its part, maintains that the ball is in the Tehran regime's court for advancing its nuclear project in contravention of the terms of the deal.
