US presses Iran to resume nuclear talks; Says ‘delay is to hamper JPCOA deal’s revival'

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed Iran to resume talks on its nuclear program citing lack of time to rearrange nuclear agreement. In a joint press conference with Germany's foreign minister Heiko Mass, US Secretary said that delay in talks would fail to reproduce benefits of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) revival, reported Sputnik. It furr reported that since April, United States and Iran have held six rounds of indirect negotiations in an attempt to re-establish JCPOA, also know as nuclear deal. negotiations failed to achieve desired result and process furr stalled since new Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi took over last months, according to international news agency. 

It should be noted here that last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said that or parties should understand that it takes at least two to three months for a new ministration to settle down before taking any decision, reported Associated Press (AP). Meanwhile, speaking at press conference, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas noted that a delay of two or three months floated by Tehran is not good enough and termed it too long for program. Despite IAEA reports nothing that Iran h been complying with its nuclear obligations, US h unilaterally pulled out of nuclear deal and reimposed several strict economic sanctions in 2018 under n President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia have tried to preserve accord, and US President Joe Biden has shown his interest in rejoining pact.

'Iran continues to increase its stockpile of uranium'

"I am not going to put a date on it, but we are getting closer to point at which a strict return to compliance with (nuclear deal) does not reproduce benefits that that agreement achieved," Blinken said when asked wher delay suggested by Iran is too long for a return to accord, as reported by news agency. He furr ded that US hopes that ability to rejoin deal and return to mutual compliance is not indefinite. It is worth mentioning here that on Tuesday, September 7, International Atomic Energy Agency said that Iran has continued to increase its stockpile of uranium in what could be termed as a violation of accord. Meanwhile, retaliating to this, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned that a "nonconstructive attitude" by UN's nuclear watchdog could harm nuclear talks, reported news agency. 

(With agency inputs)

(Image: AP)