On Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden is reportedly planning to offer Iran a new nuclear deal after the fallout of the 2015 agreement.
Biden plans to lift some of the economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for the Islamic regime to stop its nuclear activities. The administration hopes that the proposal would encourage talks between the two countries.
The New Nuclear Deal
The U.S. asks Iran to halt some of its nuclear activities like the development of centrifuges and uranium. On the other hand, the U.S. will allow Iran to access a portion of its frozen assets. Biden also believed that the new deal would prevent the Islamic regime from strengthening its nuclear capability.
A representative from the administration claimed that the U.S. is ready to provide more flexibility. The admin officials believe that the move will hopefully encourage discussions between the two countries. “We have also been open that we are talking with our [international] partners about the best way to achieve this, including through a series of initial, mutual steps,” the senior admin official said. He continued, “We have been looking at options for doing so, including with indirect conversations through our European partners.”
However, the administration is uncertain whether Iran would accept the deal. For weeks, the U.S failed to re-open negotiations with Tehran after they rejected their earlier proposal. In response, Iran claimed that the terms were “unacceptable.”
The U.S. Pushes For Immediate Action
In an article from Politico, the media outlet explained why the U.S. is rushing to reach an agreement. Politico reports that Iran will begin its campaign season in May, which would make it more difficult for the U.S. to open any dialogues. The U.S. understands that the nuclear deal is a sensitive issue in Iran, and the regime is unlikely to make any changes.
In addition, the start of the campaign season also coincides with the expiration of the temporary agreement between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The deal is necessary since it allows the IAEA to monitor and access its nuclear facilities and monitor its operations.
Moreover, the executive director of the Arms Control Association, Daryl Kimball also agreed. “Iran is poised to blow through additional nuclear deal restrictions in the next few weeks,” he said. Kimball warned, “This is the crucial time to avoid an escalation of the situation.”
Diplomatic Fallout
Previously, U.S. and Iran entered into a nuclear deal. Based on the 2015 agreement, Tehran agrees to halt its nuclear programs in exchange for the U.S. to lift its economic sanctions.
Unfortunately, former U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018.
Two years later, Trump added another economic sanction that paralyzed Iran’s petroleum industry. Trump believed that it would put pressure on Iran to stop its terrorist activities. In a statement, former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin alleged, “Iran’s petrochemical and petroleum sectors are primary sources of funding for the Iranian regime’s global terrorist activities.” Mnuchin added that the companies, “enable its persistent use of violence against its own people.”
