Moscow, Mar 30 (FN Bureau) The administration of US President Joe Biden intends to put forward a new proposal as soon as this week in a bid to break the deadlock in the nuclear talks with Iran, Politico reported, citing two people familiar with the situation. According to the news outlet, the United States will ask Iran to suspend some of its nuclear activities, such as working on advanced centrifuges and enriching uranium to a purity level of 20 percent, in exchange for some economic sanctions relief. The details are still being developed, one of the sources told Politico.
The proposal though does not guarantee that the talks would be revived, as it is still unclear whether Tehran will accept it, Politico reported, recalling that earlier this year, Iran and the US already exchanged proposals but both rejected them as unacceptable. At the same time, the two countries understand that time is running out for both parties and if they do not reach any breakthrough in the next few weeks, little is likely to happen until at least September. One of the reasons pressing US officials to fast-track the talks’ resumption is the presidential election in Iran slated for June, with the candidates starting their campaigns in May.
Another reason, according to Politico, is that an important temporary agreement reached by the International Atomic Energy Agency allowing the watchdog to monitor the country’s nuclear program will expire in late May. The Biden administration declined to comment on the proposal or provide any details of diplomatic conversations, Politico added.