The US Government has clarified that no new nuclear agreements are forthcoming with Iran, despite the ongoing quiet diplomacy between the two nations.
The Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while addressing the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, underscored, “There is no agreement in the offing, even as we continue to be willing to explore diplomatic paths.”
Blinken expressed that future ties with Iran would be evaluated based on the country’s actions, urging it to avoid escalating tensions with the US and within the Middle East.
The Intricacies of Restoring the 2015 Nuclear Accord
President Joe Biden initially had aspirations of rejoining the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, a deal which was abandoned by his predecessor Donald Trump. However, European Union-mediated negotiations fell apart, and the surge in mass protests within Iran has made the US increasingly reluctant to strike a deal with the clerical regime.
Despite these hurdles, there have been whispers of indirect discussions behind closed doors, with Oman acting as the go-between and the primary focus being the status of US prisoners in Iran.
Negotiations for reinstating the 2015 nuclear accord hit roadblocks over disagreements regarding the extent of relief from the extensive US sanctions imposed by Trump and when Iran would retract its countermeasures implemented in response to the US’s withdrawal from the deal.
Blinken stated that the Biden administration and European powers, China, and Russia had made a “good-faith effort” to return to the accord. For a while, it seemed feasible. However, according to Blinken, Iran either couldn’t or wouldn’t take the necessary steps to fall back into compliance.
As an intermediary for Israel and Saudi Arabia, both of which share uneasy relationships with the US, Blinken has been facilitating their efforts to establish relations. “It is incredibly challenging, hard, not something that can happen overnight, but it’s also a real prospect and one that we’re working on,” he said.
