US Senior Nuclear Negotiator On Iran To Leave State Department

Reports say Jarrett Blanc, the US deputy special envoy for Iran, will soon leave the State Department Iran team to get back to the Department of Energy.

Axios quoted three US officialsas saying that Blanc is returning to his home agency after nearly two years on detail to the Department of State.

US State Department Spokesman Ned Price said Wednesday that it is a “normal move”.

“The Department of Energy is a critical partner in shaping US policy on Iran’s nuclear program, and in his new role, Jarrett will remain involved in this issue, and returning to his home agency after two years is a normal personnel move,” noted Price.

Blanc was the deputy of US Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley and a key player in the indirect talks with Tehran over its nuclear program within the last two years.

Axios says Blanc's departure shows that the Biden administration thinks there is no path forward for a return to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran at this juncture.

After 18 months of talks aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, or JCPOA, negotiations reached a deadlock in September. There have also been calls for Malley’s resignation.

In late October, Malley stated that the US government is not going to "waste time" on trying to revive the Iran nuclear deal due to Tehran's clampdown on protesters, its support for Moscow's war on Ukraine, and the Islamic Republic’s positions on its nuclear program.