US Backtracks: Iran Not to Blame for Lack of Deal

Officials Insist Deal Was a 'Near Miss'

After repeated comments on Monday declaring the collapse of a weekend deal with Iran entirely the fault of Iran, the Obama Administration is back-tracking significantly, not only conceding that Iran isn’t to blame, but insisting no one is.

Fault is immaterial,” insisted State Dept spokeswoman Jen Psaki, who insisted the talks are simply a “complicated” issue that are going to take awhile to sort out.

Russia was also quick to dismiss the claims that Iran was to blame for the lack of a deal, saying there simply wasn’t a consensus. Reports from those familiar with the situation say France actually was the one that rejected the deal, and did so with an eye on a big arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

US officials are now describing the talks not as a failure but as a “near miss,” apparently hinging on disputes over wording, and they insist that a deal remains probable in the near future.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.