Blinken: Iran Only Weeks Away from Building Nuclear Weapon

The U.S. Secretary of State says that if Iran continues to violate its nuclear agreement commitments, it could produce the necessary materials for building a nuclear weapon within weeks. Biden’s National Security Advisor previously stated that America’s immediate priority is reviving the nuclear accord.

Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, announced in an interview with NBC News that Tehran is currently only weeks away from producing fissile materials needed to build a nuclear weapon.

Blinken emphasized that America’s return to the JCPOA requires Iran’s cooperation on “a stronger and longer” agreement that would also address other issues.

Iran began 20 percent uranium enrichment several weeks ago.

Biden and other officials of his administration have previously referred to Iran’s missile program and its role in the region, and it appears that “other issues” refers to these matters.

This was Blinken’s first televised interview since taking office as Secretary of State. He stressed that Iran’s recent steps in reducing its nuclear commitments have left no room for America to return to the JCPOA.

In his first press conference after being confirmed as Secretary of State, Blinken had stated that the Biden administration is determined to return to the JCPOA, but Iran must take the first step and cease violating its commitments.

Three days earlier, Jake Sullivan, Biden’s National Security Advisor, had also announced that reviving the nuclear agreement is an immediate priority for Washington because “Iran has come very close to building a nuclear weapon.”

Sullivan, at an online session of the Washington Peace Institute, set no conditions for reviving the JCPOA but recalled that America seeks to prevent the largest “nuclear crisis.”

Iranian officials have said they will not engage in further negotiations over the JCPOA and will not accept any conditions for America’s return to the nuclear agreement.

In the words of Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s Foreign Minister, it is America’s responsibility to return to the JCPOA and fulfill its commitments: “What is not in the agreement has been agreed upon to not be in the agreement, and new items will not be added to it today.”

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported on a conversation between the European Union’s Foreign Policy Chief and Blinken on Iran. A reporter for the newspaper tweeted that Borrell and Blinken discussed reviving the JCPOA.

Alongside Blinken’s remarks, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in his weekly press conference: “America cannot automatically and with a single signature return to the JCPOA.”

IRNA reported from Said Khatibzadeh: “We are waiting for American action, meaning effective sanctions relief. Effective sanctions relief means that the sanctions imposed after Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from international agreements, including Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA, must be effectively lifted. Effectively lifting them means we must see the effects of sanctions relief, and a signature on paper is not enough.”

Source: DW