US Reiterates That Decision In Nuclear Talks Is Up To Iran

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Tuesday that Washington has negotiated “in good faith” in Iran nuclear talks but “the same cannot always be said of the Iranian side.”

In his daily briefing, Price was asked about the results of European Union chief negotiator Enrique Mora’s recent trip to Iran, but he avoided giving a clear answer, by insisting that the US does “not negotiate in public.” He reiterated that it is up to Iran to move the stalled negotiations forward.

“Iran needs to decide, as I alluded to before, whether it insists on conditions that are extraneous to the JCPOA, or whether it is ready, willing, and able to conclude the JCPOA, a mutual return to compliance with it, quickly,” Price said most likely referring to Tehran’s demand for removing its Revolutionary Guard from a US list of terrorist organizations.

Price also avoided directly answering a question whether the US agrees with the Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz who said Tuesday that Iran is deploying far more uranium enriching centrifuges than previously estimated. He alluded to the secret nature of intelligence information in avoiding a direct answer.

Asked if a military option against Iran, in cooperation with Israel, is on the table, Price said, “We believe that diplomacy and dialogue affords an opportunity to sustainably and durably and permanently put an end to Iran’s ability to produce or otherwise acquire a nuclear weapon.”