Iran and the remaining nuclear deal participants will hold talks on Friday to discuss a possible US return to the agreement. The EU announced on Thursday that officials from Iran, Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany will be meeting virtually.
“Participants will discuss the prospect of a possible return of the United States to the JCPOA, and how to ensure the full and effective implementation of the agreement by all sides,” the EU statement said.
The Biden administration welcomed the news. “We obviously welcome this as a positive step and that’s precisely because we have been clear for weeks now that we are ready to pursue a return to compliance with our commitments consistent with Iran also doing the same,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price.
While the Biden administration has changed its tone in recent weeks and is now calling for talks with Iran and a “mutual return,” it scuttled early opportunities to revive the JCPOA and dismissed Iran’s initial offer to coordinate on a return.
Showing Iran’s growing frustration with the US, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that he’d seen “no serious efforts” from the Biden administration to revive the deal.
The fact is, President Biden could revive the JCPOA at any time by lifting sanctions on Iran that have been reimposed since 2018. Even the most hardline elements in Iran have been clear that relief from sanctions means Iran will scale back its civilian nuclear program to comply with the limits set by the JCPOA.
Why don’t we just “cut-to-the-chase” by designating Israel as representing America’s interests in any replay of the JCPOA? It would be an aid to improving the World’s mental health, if we would just start calling things as they are.
The US and its return to JCPOA compliance has become more complex since China has consulted with Iran and other pivotal Middle East nations.
Sanctions on importing medicines and diagnostics have resulted in over 200,000 Iranians deaths amidst the COVID pandemic. Nuclear war by another name.
Billions of Iranian financial assets frozen in Western financial institutions. The economic growth that was never achieved and the penury imposed on Iran’s masses.
The situation speaks of nearly impossible roadblocks as complexities surround US-Israel actions in Syria and Iraq and the millions of refugees they created.
We can’t very well mention Israel’s nuclear program and their exemption from IAEA or international scrutiny.
China may become the great equalizer or peace stabilizer if they exert strong influence with Tel Aviv regarding a two-state solution. China may prefer not to become that enveloped, but they’ve already a JCPOA signatory.
My best wishes for Beijing’s and Moscow’s efforts.
It will take a while for Iran to trust US on its commitment to lift sanctions on practice not on paper…! This discussion will include the return of Iran to JCPOA compliance step by step… i.e., For every month Iran verifies it is sanction free, Iran will reduce its uranium enrichment from the current 20% by one or one tenth of a percent…!