The President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, speaks during the meeting of the National Council for the Fight against Coronavirus (Covid-19) in Tehran, Iran, on November 21, 2020.
Iranian presidency sheet Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
WASHINGTON – Iran on Sunday rejected an invitation from global powers that signed the 2015 nuclear deal to discuss the regime’s return to the negotiating table, a significant obstacle to the Biden administration’s efforts to revive the deal.
“Given the recent actions and statements of the United States and the three European powers, Iran does not consider it time to hold an informal meeting with these countries, which has been proposed by the EU’s foreign policy chief,” the spokesman said. of Iran’s Foreign Ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh. , according to the state press in Tehran.
The White House said on Sunday that the Biden administration was disappointed by Iran’s decision to ignore the informal meeting with the United States and the other signatories to the 2015 pact – France, Germany, Britain, Russia and China.
“While we are disappointed with Iran’s response, we stand ready to relaunch significant diplomacy to achieve a mutual return to meeting JCPOA commitments,” a senior administration official told NBC News.
“We will consult with our P5 + 1 partners on the best way forward,” the official said, referring to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany.
The Biden administration has previously said it wants to revive the nuclear deal, but will not suspend sanctions until Tehran returns to compliance. Tehran has refused to negotiate while US sanctions remain in place.
The 2015 Joint Global Action Plan (JCPOA), mediated by the Obama administration, lifted sanctions on Iran, which paralyzed its economy and halved its oil exports. In exchange for billions of dollars in relief from sanctions, Iran has agreed to dismantle part of its nuclear program and open its facilities for more extensive international inspections.
The United States and its European allies believe that Iran has ambitions to develop a nuclear bomb. Tehran has denied the accusation.
In 2018, then-President Donald Trump made a campaign promise and withdrew the United States from the JCPOA, calling it “the worst deal ever.” Following Washington’s withdrawal from the important nuclear deal, other signatories to the pact tried to keep the deal alive.
US President Donald Trump listens during a meeting in Washington, DC, USA, on Monday, June 15, 2020.
Doug Mills | NYTimes | Getty Images
In a letter released by Sunda, Republican senators warned President Joe Biden not to join the 2015 nuclear deal because it is “full of problems” and instead called for a more comprehensive deal.
“The scope of any agreement with Iran must address the full range of Iranian conduct, including regional terrorism, ballistic missiles and the detention of US nationals. It is no surprise that Iran’s authorities support Assad’s ongoing atrocities in Syria. “They are attacking Iraqi troops and diplomats, leading Lebanon to the brink of collapse, threatening our Israeli and Gulf partners and contributing to the world’s biggest humanitarian disaster in Yemen,” Sens wrote. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, Jim Risch of Idaho, Marco Rubio of Florida, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Rob Portman of Ohio in a joint letter to Biden.
Despite criticism of the “maximum pressure” campaign, there is no denying that it has caused Iran a cost for its malicious activities and now gives your administration leverage to get a better deal from Iran. We know that Iran cannot trust its commitments, “the senators wrote.
Washington’s ongoing confrontation with Tehran
An Iranian walk past the landmark graffiti on the walls of the former US embassy in Tehran during a November 4, 2018 protest.
Majid Saeedi | Getty Images
Washington’s strained relationship with Tehran has taken several turns for the worse under the Trump administration.
Last year, the United States carried out an air strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, Iran’s top military commander. Iran retaliated by launching at least a dozen missiles from its territory on January 7 at two Iraqi military bases housing U.S. troops and coalition forces.
A day later at the White House, Trump said Iran appeared to be “standing up” and warned Tehran to give up its nuclear ambitions.
Following the deadly US strike, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said the Trump administration had committed an “act of terror.”
Iranian mourners gather in the final stage of the funeral processions for the assassinated top general Qasem Soleimani, in his hometown of Kerman, on January 7, 2020.
Atta Kenare | AFP | Getty Images
Soleimani’s death prompted the regime to further reduce compliance with the international nuclear pact. In January 2020, Iran said it would no longer limit its uranium enrichment capacity or nuclear research.
In October, the United States unilaterally reintroduced UN sanctions on Tehran through an instant trial, which other members of the UN Security Council previously said Washington did not have the authority to execute because it withdrew from the 2018 nuclear deal.
A month later, a top Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated near Tehran, leading the Iranian government to claim that Israel was behind the attack with US support.
A view shows the scene of the attack that killed the prominent Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, outside Tehran, Iran, on November 27, 2020.
WANA via Reuters
In the summer of 2019, a series of attacks in the Persian Gulf put the US and Iran on a path to greater confrontation.
In June, US officials said an Iranian surface-to-air missile had shot down a US military surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said the aircraft was on its territory. The strike came a week after the US blamed Iran for attacks on two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf region and after four tanks were attacked in May.
The United States imposed new sanctions on Iranian military leaders in June, accused of shooting down the drone. The measures also aimed to block financial resources for Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.
Tensions rose again in September 2019, when the US blamed Iran for strikes in Saudi Arabia on the world’s largest oil and oil field.
This attack forced the kingdom to halve its production operations and triggered the largest increase in crude oil prices in decades and renewed concerns about a new war in the Middle East. Iran claims that it was not behind the attacks.