US President Joe Biden has stressed that “it’s premature” to know whether the indirect talks between the US and Iran will result in mutual compliance with the nuclear deal. However, he stressed that he has no intention of “making concessions.”
“We do not support and do not think it’s at all helpful that Iran is saying it’s going to move to enrich to 60 percent,” Biden said during a joint press conference with Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihide Suga in Washington.
He added, “it is contrary to the agreement.”
“We are, though, nonetheless pleased that Iran has continued to agree to engage in discussions — in direct discussions with us and with our — our partners on how we move forward and what is needed to allow us to move back into the JOPCA, and so that we are a part of it again — that we should have never gotten out of, in my view — without us making concessions that I’m — we’re just not willing to make.”
“And so the discussions are underway. I think it’s premature to make a judgement as to what the outcome will be, but we’re still talking,” he stressed.
American officials hinted that the new US Envoy to Iran, Robert Malley, expressed readiness to lift 700 sanctions of 1,500 sanctions imposed by the former US administration.
However, these leaks weren’t confirmed by officials responsible for negotiations with Iran.
Biden sees that Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign has failed.
“We take seriously Iran’s provocative announcement of its intention to begin enriching uranium to 60 percent, which the P5+1 should be unified in rejecting,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
She added that “this step both calls into question Iran’s seriousness with regard to the nuclear talks and underscores the imperative of returning to mutual compliance.”
Commenting on the Vienna Talks, Psaki reiterated that they are going “to be difficult, to be long, we still feel that they are a step forward in moving towards — you know, leading with diplomacy to find a path forward."