There was a recent increase in hopes among certain western governments and circles that the Iran nuclear deal was about to be finalized. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the coordinator of the ongoing talks between world powers and the mullahs’ regime, believed we were witnessing the last millimeters, describing responses from both Washington and Tehran as reasonable and logical.
Inside Iran, optimism about reaching a deal had peaked, only to see the fruitless process continue and the Iranian regime raising even more demands. Various state-run dailies in Iran are saying the nuclear talks are tantamount to a game of snakes and ladders, putting optimism completely aside and expressing nothing but disappointment and hopelessness.
What is less mentioned is the fact that Iran’s regime has been kicking the can down the road during the past 18 months while continuing to violate its nuclear commitments. And seeing its belligerence go unpunished due to the West’s appeasement, the mullahs are obviously encouraged to continue their modus operandi of buying more time and demanding more concessions.
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“We can confirm that we have received Iran’s response through the EU,” a spokesperson said, according to Reuters. “We are studying it and will respond through the EU, but unfortunately it is not constructive.”
“Some gaps have closed in recent weeks, but others remain.”
The Reuters report adds that White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said: “Some gaps have closed in recent weeks, but others remain.”
“We are studying Iran’s response, but the bottom line is that it is not at all encouraging,” a senior Biden administration official told POLITICO on Thursday evening. The official declined to provide specifics about what Tehran had proposed, but added, “based on their answer, we appear to be moving backwards.”
A European diplomat agreed with Washington’s negative assessment and said that the Iranian regime’s response looked “negative and not reasonable”, the POLITICO report adds. Another individual familiar with the situation simply added that Tehran’s reply did “not look good at all.”
While the U.S. administration is insisting on continuing the process of talks despite the Iranian regime’s refusal to cooperate, concerns are escalating on Capitol Hill. A group of bipartisan members in the U.S. House of Representatives have written a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday raising concerns about the administration’s efforts to seal a nuclear deal with the mullahs’ regime.
Consisting of 34 Democrats and 16 Republicans, the slate of 50 lawmakers underscored reported provisions that would appear in a new nuclear agreement with Tehran.
“We are deeply concerned about multiple provisions that reportedly may be contained in the final language of any agreement with the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism,” they wrote.
Today, I led a bipartisan group of 50 Members (34 Democrats & 16 Republicans) expressing our deep concerns to @POTUS about a potential agreement with Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, and urging the Administration not to act before consulting with Congress. pic.twitter.com/F2YQpc4nxH
— Rep Josh Gottheimer (@RepJoshG) September 1, 2022
One of the main demands Tehran is insisting upon is for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to drop a probe into traces of radioactive material, such as highly enriched uranium, found in three previously undeclared sites in Iran. The U.S. administration, however, has sent a message to the Iranian regime indicating that conditioning the IAEA’s investigations to the nuclear deal is viewed as a non-starter.
Tehran’s demand is again rendering stiff opposition in Washington, making it even more difficult for the U.S. administration to finalize the nuclear deal with the Iranian regime.
“The IAEA’s important safeguards work should not be impacted by outside negotiations, and the IAEA should continue its technical work in the same professional and impartial manner as it always has under your leadership,” states a letter from a number of Republican members of the House of Representatives, signed also by Reps. Jim Banks (R., Ind.), Ann Wagner (R., Mo.), Chris Smith (R., N.J.), and Randy Weber (R., Texas). “We urge [the U.S. administration] to resist pressure to draw this vitally important investigation to an end solely for the sake of political expediency.”
A nuclear deal losing its momentum comes at a time when the IAEA Board of Governors is scheduled to hold its next session on September 12. The Iranian regime’s dossier will be one of—if not the—most important topics set to be raised in Vienna.
One question being asked these days is that will Tehran’s nuclear dossier be referred to the UN Security Council or will we witness a new round of cat-and-mouse games consisting of talks and back-and-forth messages?
It is worth noting that back in December 2021, western diplomats were warning that they only had “weeks” to reach a deal regarding the Iranian regime’s nuclear program. Nearly nine months later, we are now in September of 2022.
The West needs to understand that the Iranian regime is taking advantage of their failed appeasement policy to further continue a seemingly endless process of negotiations parallel to producing highly enriched uranium and violating their nuclear commitments. As has been experienced time and again, only a firm policy will rein in the regime’s threats.
