European countries and the United States are keen to blame Iran for starting a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) yesterday as talks aimed at restarting the 2015 nuclear deal stalled. The draft resolution, prepared by the United States, Britain, France and Germany, is a sign of their impatience at a time when diplomats are warning that the chances of saving the nuclear deal are fading.
Negotiations aimed at resuscitating the agreement began in April 2021 with the goal of bringing the United States back into it, once again lifting the sanctions imposed on Iran, and calling on it to curb its nuclear activities.
The 2015 agreement lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbing its nuclear program. However, its effects have become null and void as Washington withdrew during the Donald Trump era in 2018 and re-imposed tough sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to backtrack on its commitments.
In recent months, negotiations to revive it have stalled.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who is coordinating the talks, warned in a tweet over the weekend that the chances of a return to an agreement are “diminishing”. “But we can still achieve this with extra effort,” he added.
