The Biden administration is taking steps to rejoin Iran’s nuclear deal, with officials participating in high-level discussions with the signatories of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA) in Vienna next week.
The U.S. and Iran are not expected to meet face-to-face, although administration officials have said they remain open to direct talks.
The Vienna meeting marks the most advanced move for the Biden team, which will work with its European, Russian and Chinese counterparts on what steps the US can take to achieve a “mutual return” for both America and the United States. in Iran.
The meeting is likely to be under intense scrutiny from Capitol Hill, where hundreds of lawmakers have signed a handful of letters to the president and secretary of state. Anthony Blink
Antony BlinkenKerry says the United States hopes it can work with China on the climate. Blinken overturns Trump Biden sanctions on ICC officials imposed by Trump Biden for first time with Ukrainian president for his concerns about relating to Iran.
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the House headed by the President Gregory Meeks
Gregory Weldon MeeksIran’s talks set a delicate dance for Biden’s team House panel advances bill to repeal 2002 war permit Bipartisan House bill would revoke war permits for decades MONTH (DN.Y.), has made a supportive tweet for the meeting.
“This is an important step, but a preliminary one. “Hard and smart diplomacy in close coordination with our European allies and regional partners is the best way to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and restoring full compliance with the JCPOA,” he said.
President Biden
Joe Biden Lawyers say solving the border crisis is the job of Biden Trump calls for Republicans to boycott companies amid controversy over White House voting law: Republican Party has “fought to articulate a reason” to oppose -se in the MORE infrastructure plan has made reinstatement in the agreement a priority foreign policy for its administration. He appointed the U.S. special envoy to Iran Robert Malley, a key member of the negotiating team that negotiated the 2015 deal.
The deal, negotiated during the Obama administration while Biden was vice president, put significant, but temporary, limits on Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for easing U.S. and international community sanctions.
Critics argue that it did not go far enough to prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon and did not address a number of malicious activities by the Islamic Republic, including its ballistic missile programs, support for the forces of fight against representatives of the entire Middle East, support for terrorism and human rights abuses.
“The United States must not once again abandon the leverage that Iran is bringing to the negotiating table without facing Iran’s nuclear and non-nuclear activities that must be stopped,” 140 Republicans wrote. of the House in a letter to President Biden in February, opposing a return to the JCPOA.
The former Trump administration re-imposed sanctions on Iran when it withdrew from the agreement in May 2018 and added a number of other punitive measures as part of a “maximum pressure campaign” aimed at to force Tehran at the negotiating table to reach a stronger agreement.
Tehran maintains its nuclear program is peaceful, but nuclear observers say the Islamic Republic is likely to be a few months away from building a bomb. Iran began increasing uranium enrichment in 2019, breaking JCPOA conditions in retaliation for sanctions imposed by the then Trump administration.
Biden’s team and Iran have been in a “who goes first” enigma about each side’s demands.
The United States is concerned about Iran’s uranium enrichment of up to 20 percent, well above the agreement’s 3.67 percent limit. Uranium is considered of armament quality when it is approximately 90% enriched.
The Biden team has called on Iran to reverse uranium enrichment before easing sanctions. Tehran calls this non-initial.
The Vienna meeting will try to establish a roadmap of measures that both parties can take to bring them back to compliance with the agreement, including the identification of “sanctions withdrawal measures and nuclear implementation,” according to a statement issued Friday by JCPOA signatories – China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and Iran.
State Department Deputy Chief of Staff Jalina Porter said in a briefing with reporters that the United States will not provide for any specific sanctions to be lifted, but that measures to ease sanctions during the meeting will be discussed. .
“We will talk about nuclear measures that Iran should take to return to compliance with the terms of the JCPOA and we will not anticipate any specific sanctions, but we will definitely say that we sanction the relief measures that the US should take to return to this compliance as well.” we will be debating, ”he said.
Naysan Rafati, Iran’s senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, said both Washington and Tehran agree to return to the JCPOA, but that the road to mutual compliance will not be easy.
“Discussions are likely to find challenges in terms of scope and sequencing on both the nuclear and sanctions fronts, as well as skepticism in Washington and Tehran,” he said.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers have tried to narrow the gap on their disagreements over the usefulness of the JCPOA as part of efforts to promote a united front in its opposition to Iran’s alleged pursuit of a nuclear weapon and actions destabilizing in the region.
Last month, 40 senators on both sides of the aisle signed a letter to the president urging the use of all diplomatic and economic tools to prevent Iran from developing the ability to acquire a nuclear weapon.
“Iran should have no doubts about American politics. Democrats and Republicans may have tactical differences, but we are united to avoid an Iranian nuclear weapon and address the wide range of illicit Iranian behaviors. We look forward to working with you to achieve these goals, ”the senators wrote.
Similarly, a bipartisan letter signed by 140 members of the House called for addressing the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran and its other worrying actions.
“As Democrats and Republicans from across the political spectrum, we are united in preventing an Iranian nuclear weapon and addressing the wide range of illicit Iranian behaviors,” they wrote.
Lawmakers are also concerned about easing sanctions on Iran without significantly verifying that it has taken steps to re-comply with the JCPOA.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded in the affirmative when questioned by the receiver. Brad Sherman
Bradley (Brad) James Sherman: Iran’s conversations have created a delicate dance for Biden’s team. Biden may be based on Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq. (D-California) during a hearing last month that the U.S. made no concessions to meet with Iran or lift sanctions until Iran fully complies with the JCPOA or is on a negotiated path toward full compliance.
Rep. Michael McCaul
Michael Thomas McCaulIran talks about a delicate dance for Biden’s team House panel advances bill to revoke 2002 war permit Hundreds of migrants found in three trucks near Mexico’s border with Guatemala MORE (R-Texas) put more pressure on Blinken to commit to formally consulting with Congress before lifting any sanctions.
“We are determined to consult on takeoff not on the general landing, but yes, especially when it comes to Iran,” Blinken said.