Blinken: No nuke deal with Iran in near future
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed pessimism over the prospects of signing a renewed nuclear deal with Iran, saying that “what we’ve seen in the last week is a step backward away from the likelihood of any kind of near-term agreement.”
Iranian flag. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Speaking in Mexico City on Monday, he said that “what we’ve seen over the last week or so in Iran’s response to the proposal put forward by the European Union is clearly a step backward and makes prospects for an agreement in the near term, I would say, unlikely, and you’ve heard the European Union, and in particular you’ve heard the so-called E3 – Germany, France, and the UK – pronounce themselves on the latest developments.”
The E3 stated that Iran “continues to escalate its nuclear program way beyond any plausible civilian justification” while acknowledging that the finalisation of a renewed nuclear deal with Tehran was not in sight.
In early August, after a year and a half of negotiations, the European Coordinator submitted a final set of texts which would allow for an Iranian return to compliance and the US’ return to the deal. In this final package, the Coordinator made additional changes that “took us to the limit of our flexibility.”
“Unfortunately, Iran has chosen not to seize this critical diplomatic opportunity,” the three countries, signatories of the 2015 deal, said.
Iran has conditioned the signing of a new nuclear deal with the IAEA, closing all its investigations against the country.
“Given Iran’s failure to conclude the deal on the table, we will consult, alongside international partners, on how best to address Iran’s continued nuclear escalation and lack of cooperation with the IAEA regarding its NPT safeguards agreement,” the E3 concluded ominously.
Blinken told reporters that “Iran seems either unwilling or unable to do what is necessary to reach an agreement and they continue to try to introduce extraneous issues to the negotiation that make an agreement less likely. But certainly what we’ve seen in the last week is a step backward away from the likelihood of any kind of near-term agreement.”
Prime Minister Yair Lapid returned from a quick visit to Germany, during which he met with the country’s leadership and discussed the prospects of the nuclear deal.
He stated that talk does not stop evil. Liberal democracies must be willing and able to defend themselves. Sometimes, freedom must be defended with force. Our partnership also requires us to act together against the growing threat of Iran becoming a nuclear state. Germany is one of the E3 countries, and this is part of the responsibility it has taken upon itself.”
He presented Chancellor Olaf Scholz with “sensitive and relevant intelligence information” on Iran.
He again welcomed the E3 statement on the JCPOA.
“It is time to move past the failed negotiations with Iran. They cannot and will not achieve the goal we all share – to stop Iran getting a nuclear weapon. We discussed the need for a new strategy to stop Iran’s nuclear program,” he said.
He warned again that “a nuclear Iran will destabilise the Middle East, and create a nuclear arms race that will endanger the entire world. Returning to the nuclear agreement, under the current conditions, would be a critical mistake. Removing sanctions and pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into Iran will bring waves of terrorism, not only to the Middle East, but also across Europe.”
“There is another way. A better way forward for the Middle East. It is the path of the Abraham Accords and the Negev Forum. A path based on a shared vision for the region. A vision not of war, extremism and terrorism but of peace, tolerance and cooperation,” he said.
