Washington: No Interim Deal between Iran and US

 

According to an official, the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran are not discussing an interim nuclear deal. The US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “We have made clear to them what escalatory steps they needed to avoid to prevent a crisis and what de-escalatory steps they could take to create a more positive context.”

However, the US official confirmed that Washington was in contact with Iran about nuclear deal talks. The indirect talks between the US and Iran took place in Oman.

Israeli officials have recently accused the US and Iran of using the indirect discussions to seek an interim nuclear agreement that would allow Tehran to continue enriching uranium. The US official remarks came a day after the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, indicated support for a deal with the West on the country's nuclear program.

In a Monday press conference, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said that Iran was not interested in an interim arrangement with the US, but would explore reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement, from which the US withdrew in 2018.

The United States official declined to say what steps Iran was instructed to avoid or encourage, but he did say that Washington was looking for closer cooperation between Tehran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations specialized agency. 

In 2015, the nuclear deal was signed between Iran and world powers. Under the deal, in exchange for the lifting of United Nations, United States, and European Union (EU) sanctions, Tehran agreed to more extensive UN inspections and the limitation of its nuclear program.

In 2018, former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal and reimposed US sanctions, causing Tehran to gradually move well beyond the deal's nuclear constraints.