U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during a press conference on February 4, 2021 in the Brady Information Room of the White House in Washington, DC.
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WASHINGTON – White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday that the United States has begun talking to Iran about detained Americans.
“We have started communicating with the Iranians on this issue, yes. And we will continue to do so as we move forward,” Sullivan said of the five known American detainees.
“Our strong message to Iranians will be that we will not accept a long-term proposal where they continue to hold Americans unfairly and illegally,” he told CBS on “Face the Nation,” adding. a significant priority for this administration for those Americans to return home safely. “
When asked for an update on nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, Sullivan said “the ball is in his field.”
Sullivan said President Joe Biden continues to intend to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and believes the best way to do so is through “clear-eyed diplomacy.”
“He is ready to go to the table to talk to the Iranians about how we are recovering strict restrictions on his nuclear program. This offer remains in place because we believe diplomacy is the best way to do it. Iran has not yet responded,” he said. Sullivan. .
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have risen following former President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the nuclear deal.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani pauses as he speaks during a press conference in Tehran, Iran, on Monday, October 14, 2019.
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The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Action Plan, promoted by the Obama administration, lifted sanctions on Iran that had paralyzed its economy and cut oil exports by about half. In exchange for easing sanctions, Iran accepted limits on its nuclear program until the terms expire in 2025.
The US and its European allies believe Iran has ambitions to develop a nuclear bomb. Tehran has denied this accusation.
Trump withdrew the United States from the JCPOA in 2018, calling it the “worst deal in history.”
Following Washington’s exit from the nuclear deal, other signatories to the pact (France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia and China) tried to keep the deal alive.
Tehran has refused to negotiate while US sanctions remain in place.