Blinken ‘Not Optimistic’ at Finalizing Iran Nuclear Deal

Says time is getting 'extremely short'

Recently, European officials have indicated that the Vienna talks toward the Iran nuclear deal are very close, and they’re working with the US and Iran, who are indirectly talking, to get things settled.

Iran indicated that they consider negotiations finished, and are just waiting for the US to make a “political decision” to accept the deal or not. US officials had tried to put the onus on Iran, but also seemed to think a deal was attainable.

Then Secretary of State Tony Blinken chimed in. In an interview with MSNBC, Blinken said he is not optimistic that a deal with Iran will necessarily be reached at all, claiming he’s not confident Iran will return to compliance under the deal.

That’s a confusing claim, as all indications are that returning to compliance is the core of the deal, and that no alternative to that has even been broached. If anything, it has been the US which keeps trying to tack new conditions on the core 2015 deal.

Adding to the pessimism, Blinken echoed talk of there being a time limit to the deal, saying time to still reach the deal is “extremely short.” As with all US comments to that effect, he did not indicate what this artificial deadline is.

Lawmakers opposed to the deal were quick to grab on to Blinken’s typical pessimism, and say it proved that the nuclear deal didn’t and won’t work, and are looking to present the process as failed.

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.