As a sign of urgency, President Biden feels in touch with Iran, the White House convened a meeting of the main committee of the National Security Council on Friday, focused on the country’s nuclear program, Axios told people familiar with the issue.
Why does it matter: The Biden administration is further refining its strategy on how to revive the 2015 agreement that President Trump backed in 2018, but wants to work with allies to slow Iran’s effort to enrich uranium and prevent arms races in the East. Middle.
- The meetings of the board of directors – held in the state chamber and attended by secretaries of defense and state and other key national security actors – are designed to discuss policy at the highest level before making recommendations to the president.
- They are preceded by a meeting of Members from all national security agencies. On Wednesday, Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer led such a session focused on the Middle East.
- One of the main elements of Friday’s action is whether to push back on the nuclear deal before Iran’s June presidential election or wait until after, said a source familiar with the matter.
- The State and Defense Departments declined to comment. An NSC spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
Leading the news: Secretary of State Tony Blinken is also scheduled to have a virtual meeting on Friday with foreign ministers from the United Kingdom, Germany and France, with Iran and on that agenda.
- During a White House press conference on Thursday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan hinted that the administration’s next diplomatic impetus for Iran.
- “We are actively engaged” with European partners, he said. “Consultations will produce a unified front when it comes to our strategy.”
Intrigue: During a visit to the State Department on Thursday, the president did not mention his efforts to revive the nuclear deal, a feat signed by Obama Secretary of State John Kerry. Most Republicans in Congress strongly criticized her, and Trump later dropped him.
- Biden has announced that the United States will no longer support Saudi Arabia in its military offensive against Houthis backed by Iran in the civil war in Yemen.
- However, he pledged to continue supplying the Saudis with defensive systems, citing “threats from Iranian forces in several countries”.
The whole picture: After withdrawing from the agreement in 2018, Trump again imposed sanctions on Iran. His “maximum pressure” campaign, led by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, targeted oil exports and the central bank, in order to force Tehran to return to the negotiating table.
- However, Trump was unable to persuade the other members of the original agreement, including China, France, Russia, Britain and Germany, to reinstate sanctions.
- The Iranians also bowed and waited outside.
- Last month, Iran announced that it had increased its uranium enrichment level to 20%, well above the 5% agreement limit – a clear violation of the agreement.
Blinken called on his new envoy to Iran, Rob Malley, to form a negotiating team of diplomats and experts with a range of views on the way forward with Iran, Barak reported on Wednesday.
- Blinken even asked Malley to bring people who are “more hawkish” to Iran, according to a source close to the administration.
Between the lines: Blinken suggested that Iran should first return under the agreement before the United States lifts any sanctions.
- “We are far from that point,” the secretary said last week.