Elaborating on a lot of Iranian statements saying that talks with the US might be possible on a broader nuclear deal, and seemingly conflicting statements saying that Iran wasn’t likely to talk to the US at all, President Hassan Rouhani said talks are conditioned on the US returning to the existing nuclear deal.
This explains why the bigger deal was presented as a sideline to the existing deal, and would add to Iranian restrictions if the US offered more on top of what was specified in the P5+1 deal from 2015.
President Trump withdrew from the P5+1 deal, saying it didn’t go far enough. Iran wants the deal both implemented and ratified by the US Congress, to ensure that the US doesn’t withdraw at some opportune moment again.
It’s incredibly unlikely that the US will agree to return to the deal for further talks, even though President Trump has talked up the idea of talks. Even then, it’s also hard to imagine Congress voting in favor of ratifying the deal after years of demonizing it.
What President Hassan Rouhani is saying is very logical. You don’t continue to negotiate with someone who has already shown bad faith in an initial negotiation. But of course, the exceptional nation, aka the Outlaw US Empire has exceptional rights …..
There’s at least one other exceptional nation, Britain that expects to be able to cherry-pick the parts of being a member of the EU that it likes. What good news that those warmongers have tied themselves in knots for the foreseeable future.
I wonder when Iran- or ANY nation- will very publicly bring up the issue of Israeli nuclear weapons which are completely free of any inspection or declaration process? Maybe Iran should bring this us as a precondition for further talks- that we hold Israel to the same standard Iran is being held to.
Even Iran knows that would just be risible. Israel is beyond reproach in the US – especially under Trump. The US even respects Israel’s permanent policy of not even “confirming or denying” that Israel has nukes, which literally everyone on the planet knows is a joke.
Bottom line: That ain’t gonna happen.
Move along. Nothing to see here.