This news is likely to cause a lot of anger in the diaspora: instead of draining diplomatic channels and imposing tougher sanctions on the Islamic Republic, the U.S. apparently wants to agree on a new nuclear deal with the regime.
According to reports from several international media outlets such as Axios, the U.S. is discussing a proposal with its allies such as Israel, France, the U.K. and Germany to resume talks with Iran aimed at reaching an interim agreement to freeze Iran's nuclear program. The specific proposal: that the regime limits enrichment to a purity level of 60 percent in exchange for easing sanctions.
Axios cites discussions with ten Israeli officials, Western diplomats and U.S. experts familiar with the proposal.
Background: According to a report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency in late February, Iran has 87.5 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent. Experts say this uranium, if enriched to 90 percent weapons grade, would be enough to make at least one nuclear bomb.
For the U.S., this move would be an about-face because: While the U.S. has not ruled out a diplomatic deal to return to the 2015 nuclear agreement, it took it off the agenda last year because of Iran's military support for Russia and the regime's crackdown on protests by government opponents.
Most recently, Israeli officials had told the Biden administration and several European countries that Iran was entering "dangerous territory" that could trigger an Israeli military strike if it enriched uranium above the 60 percent level.
According to Axios, the Biden administration began discussing the new approach in January and informed its Israeli and E3 allies - France, Germany and the United Kingdom - in February.
Diplomats: Iranian regime wants to go back to 2015 nuclear agreement
And how is the regime responding to the push? Axios cites an Israeli official and a Western diplomat who said the regime is aware of talks with the U.S. but has so far rejected them because it does not want an agreement that includes anything less than the 2015 nuclear deal.
Axios recalled that shortly after the Biden administration took office in 2021, the U.S. and Iran had already tried to reach an interim agreement mediated by the EU, but the parties were unable to reach an agreement and decided to try a full return to the 2015 nuclear deal instead. "An agreement on returning to the 2015 nuclear agreement was nearly reached last September, but Iran pulled out at the last minute after Western countries rejected its demand to shut down the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) investigation into undeclared nuclear sites.“
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