US Holds Out Hope For A Deal With Iran While Preparing For Failure

Washington expressed confidence that the Vienna talks to restore the nuclear deal with Iran can conclude quickly if the Iranians are willing to proceed in good faith.

US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said in his briefing on Monday that the deal can be revived if the Iranians “allow us to continue to build on and to move forward with the significant progress that had been made over months and months of oftentimes painstaking diplomacy and negotiations”.

He dodged questions about whether the EU coordinator of the talks, Enrique Mora, is carrying any new message from the US, and only said, “We support his efforts to bring these negotiations to a successful conclusion. I wouldn’t want to prejudge or attempt to discern what he might hear from his Iranian counterparts.”

“We will pursue a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA as long as it’s in our national security interest to do so. Right now, it remains in our national security interest to see Iran’s nuclear program put back in a box,” he said.

However, Price added the Biden administration is ready to admit the failure of the talks, saying, “We’re already at the point where we’re preparing equally for either scenario – a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA or an alternative – and we’re discussing both with our allies and partners”.

Pundits in Iran are pessimistic over the chances of success during Mora’s visit due on Tuesday to persuade Iran to return to the nuclear talks with a positive attitude.