US official: We only have a few weeks to reach a deal with Iran
A senior US State Department official announced that negotiations to revive the JCPOA have entered the final stages and that only a few weeks remain to reach an agreement. He said that after that, it is no longer possible to return to the JCPOA.
The United States is increasing its pressure to reach an agreement as soon as possible in the negotiations to revive the JCPOA (nuclear agreement) with Iran.
According to the German news agency, a senior US State Department official announced this on Monday, January 31, local time in Washington, adding that the nuclear talks with Iran cannot last forever in order to achieve progress in the talks.
He said that this is not about a "threat" or "setting a fake deadline," but rather a request that has been indirectly made to Iran for a long time.
The senior official, who was not named, continued: “Now is the time for political decisions.” It is also time for Iran to make its case clear whether it is ready to return to the JCPOA.
"Otherwise, we know how to deal with this issue," he said.
The US State Department official emphasized that there are only a few weeks left to reach an agreement, after which it is no longer possible to return to this agreement.
The eighth round of negotiations to revive the JCPOA in the Austrian capital, which began on December 27, has been suspended for several days since Saturday so that negotiators can return to their capitals for consultations and instructions.
The move is said to have brought the negotiations into their final stages. Germany, France and Britain have been mediating with Russia and China for months to salvage the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the United States.
Efforts are being made to lift US economic sanctions and in return impose further restrictions on Iran's nuclear program.
The United States withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 during the presidency of Donald Trump.
A senior US State Department official continued his interview with Reuters, emphasizing that the best approach at the moment is for direct talks between the US and Iran to revive the JCPOA. He added: "If Iran is ready to meet directly with the US, the US is ready."
Source: DW
