Negotiators from the United States, Europe, and Iran are trying to strike an agreement to revive the nuclear deal with Iran.
However, Biden administration pessimism has taken over in recent weeks, and many wonder if a positive outcome is still possible.
Donald Trump terminated the nuclear deal with Iran that Barack Obama fought to obtain
The 2015 Iran nuclear deal was a significant accomplishment in terms of foreign policy for former U.S. President Barack Obama.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action pact was reached in 2015. It offered the Western Asian nation a spot on the international stage and some relief from economic sanctions in exchange of a 15-year pause on fully-developed nuclear activities.
Iran remained in compliance with the agreement for a while. However, President Donald Trump, who had campaigned against the Iran deal, decided to withdraw the U. S. from the pact in May 2018.
The move was a real blow to the agreement, and some sanctions were restored on Iran. The pact survived on one leg for a few months before Iran opted to no longer comply at the level required.
In May 2019, Tehran said it was suspending parts of JCPOA because European businesses had stopped dealing with Iran out of fear that the Trump administration would punish them.
After Joe Biden‘s election in 2020, some observers in the foreign policy expressed more optimism about a potential new deal between Iran and the P5+1, which includes China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States — plus Germany.
U.S. and Iran are trying to revive 2015 deal
However, one year after Biden took office, the situation is looking gloomy. While the negotiations are still going on, people in Washington insist that a deal is not close to being a reality.
Iranians have suggested that Americans and Europeans are not committed to seeing the process through.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was blunt in his assessment on Thursday. While in Stockholm, Mr. Blinken said that the exchanges have not been productive and that the prospects for an agreement were bleak.
However, he asked for more time to evaluate the Iranians’ real intentions. Tehran has put some nuclear commitments on the table in exchange for sanctions removal.
Iran is blaming the Europeans and Americans for being less interested in an agreement. Experts believe that the two sides are trying to blame the other one in case the negotiations fall apart.
Israel pushes allies to reject deal with Iran
Israel is hoping that a deal is not reached. The American ally has been using its influence to slow down the talks. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett believes Iran is carrying a “nuclear blackmail” because the country is still advancing with its program.
Bennett has conveyed his doubts to Blinken. Interestingly, the prime minister’s predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, was vehemently opposed to the 2015 nuclear deal.
Bennett is urging Europeans and Americans to be tough on Iran. Israel Defense
Minister Benny Gantz says he trusts President Biden to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
A U.N. watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reported that Iran has started enriching uranium to 20 percent purity at its Fordow plant.
The previous deal states that Iran cannot conduct uranium enrichment at the plant at all. Actions like these do not give much confidence about the outcome of the talks in Vienna.
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