US offers to meet Iran to save nuclear deal on brink of collapse
- Biden administration takes first step toward easing tensions with Iran
- Iran renews call to US to lift all sanctions imposed by Trump
US President Joe Biden’s administration offered talks with Iran led by European allies and reversed two largely symbolic steps against Tehran imposed by Donald Trump, as it sought to salvage a nuclear deal on the brink of collapse.
Three days before Iran’s deadline to restrict some access to UN nuclear inspectors without an end to Trump’s sanctions, new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned jointly with European powers that the move would be “dangerous”.
Hours after Blinken’s videoconference with his French, British and German counterparts, the European Union political director, Enrique Mora, proposed via Twitter an “informal meeting” involving Iran – and the United States accepted.
“The United States would accept an invitation from the European Union High Representative to attend a meeting of the P5+1 and Iran to discuss a diplomatic way forward on Iran’s nuclear programme,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
The P5 – Security Council powers Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States – plus Germany sealed the 2015 deal brokered by then president Barack Obama under which Iran drastically scaled back its nuclear programme in exchange for promises of economic relief.
Former president Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018 and imposed sweeping sanctions, aiming to bring Iran to its knees.