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Iranian Foreign Ministry Says Washington Lacks Political Will to Revive Nuclear Deal

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani holds a press conference. Photo: Iranian Foreign Ministry
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani holds a press conference. Photo: Iranian Foreign Ministry
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Iranian Foreign Ministry Says Washington Lacks Political Will to Revive Nuclear Deal

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani holds a press conference. Photo: Iranian Foreign Ministry
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani holds a press conference. Photo: Iranian Foreign Ministry

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Monday that the United States lacked the political will for the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal.

"We do not do talks for the sake of talks. Iran is ready for the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, but it seems Washington does not have the political will," ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said in televised news conference.

Kanaani's remarks come amid on-off talks that have been underway since April 2021 to revive the deal that gave Iran much-needed sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear program, AFP said.

The landmark Vienna deal has been in tatters since then US president Donald Trump withdrew from it in 2018 and Iran later backed away from its own commitments.

In a rare concession, Iran allowed a detained Iranian-American to leave the country and released his son from detention.

Tehran later said that, following the prisoner's release, it was awaiting the unfreezing of about $7 billion in funds held abroad, but Washington denied the two issues were linked.

The European Union had submitted in August a final draft of the text for the agreement, but there remain key sticking points between Tehran and Washington as well as the UN nuclear watchdog.

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Netanyahu Says He Will Seek to Dismiss the Head of Israel’s Internal Security Service

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP)
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Netanyahu Says He Will Seek to Dismiss the Head of Israel’s Internal Security Service

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends his trial on corruption charges at the district court in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sunday he will seek to dismiss the head of the country's internal security service this week, following a power struggle over the Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu said in a statement he has had “ongoing distrust” with Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, and “this distrust has grown over time.”

The Shin Bet is responsible for monitoring Palestinian armed groups, and recently issued a report accepting responsibility for its failures around the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. But it also criticized Netanyahu, saying failed government policies helped create the climate that led to it.

The tensions boiled over this weekend when Bar’s predecessor, Nadav Argaman, said he would release sensitive information about Netanyahu if it is found that the prime minister had broken the law. Netanyahu accused Argaman of blackmail and filed a police complaint.

The Shin Bet did not have an immediate response to Netanyahu's announcement.

Netanyahu has resisted calls for an official state commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack and has tried to blame the failures on the army and security agencies. In recent months, a number of senior security officials, including a defense minister and army chief, have been fired or forced to step down.

Bar had been one of the few remaining senior security officials since the Oct. 7 attack to remain in office.

Netanyahu said removing Bar from his position would help Israel “achieve its war goals and prevent the next disaster.” The prime minister is expected to appoint a loyalist in his place, slowing any momentum for the commission of inquiry.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, a good-governance civil society group, called Netanyahu’s announcement a “declaration of war on the rule of law” and claimed that he does not have the authority to take the step against Bar because of investigations into his own office.

Netanyahu is also angry that the Shin Bet is investigating members of his staff for their dealings with Qatar. The Shin Bet, and Bar, have been closely involved with the hostage negotiations during the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu recently removed Bar from the negotiating team and replaced him with a loyalist, Cabinet minister Ron Dermer. Israeli media have reported on deep policy differences between the negotiators, who have pushed for a hostage deal, and Netanyahu, who continues to threaten to resume the war.