White House: Biden will seek "other available options" if JCPOA fails

A White House National Security Council spokesman says US President Joe Biden wants to make sure there are "other options available" to ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear bomb if the JCPOA talks fail.

John Kirby stated on Thursday, September 8, that Washington will remain active in revitalizing the nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), but its patience will not last forever.

The White House National Security Council spokesman also emphasized: "It is clear to us that there are still differences and we are not as close to an agreement as we would like."

He went on to state that although Joe Biden has so far encouraged and pursued the path of diplomacy, he has told cabinet members that he wants to ensure that there are other options available to prevent a nuclear Iran if negotiations fail.

Iran's recent proposals regarding receiving guarantees from the United States and closing the safeguards file have diminished the hopes of the European members of the JCPOA and the United States for the revival of the agreement.

Meanwhile, Wednesday's report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iran's 60 percent enriched uranium stockpile is approaching the amount needed to build a nuclear bomb if its concentration is increased to 90 percent has also sparked a wave of concerns.

The International Atomic Energy Agency has emphasized that Iran has not yet provided a convincing and credible answer about the origin of the uranium discovered at its three undeclared sites.

The international organization says that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency is "increasingly" concerned about Iran's lack of engagement on safeguards issues and the lack of progress in clarifying the origin of the uranium in question.

France expresses concern

Meanwhile, the French Foreign Ministry expressed "deep concern" over Iran's "continued lack of cooperation" with the International Atomic Energy Agency and announced that it was consulting with its partners on this matter ahead of the next meeting of the Board of Governors.

"We regret that Iran has not taken advantage of the opportunities provided by the IAEA Director General to engage and clarify the issue of nuclear material in undeclared sites," French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said on Thursday.

According to Anne-Claire Legendre, France will hold consultations with its allies and partners on this issue before the meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors on September 12 (next Monday).

A spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry stated that if Iran does not cooperate, the International Atomic Energy Agency cannot guarantee that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful.

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has repeatedly warned in recent months that the Islamic Republic is not cooperating on the origin of uranium discovered in undeclared Iranian sites.

In June of this year, the IAEA Board of Governors passed a resolution criticizing Iran's lack of cooperation with this international organization.

Agency inspectors have so far identified three “suspicious” sites in Marivan, Turqozabad on the outskirts of Tehran, and Varamin, the latter two sites “probably destroyed in 2003 and 2004 with the aim of eliminating trace uranium.”

Source: Radio Farda