The White House stated it is prepared in the event that negotiations with Iran fail.
Given continuous progress in Iran’s nuclear program, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told journalists on Thursday that Biden directed his team to prepare for the eventuality that negotiations fail and the US needs to resort to other actions.
Biden Might Have to Resort to Trump’s Plan
“We would have no alternative but to adopt additional actions to severely restrict Iran’s income industries if diplomacy fails to get back on track soon and if Iran’s nuclear program accelerates,” Psaki added.
Andrea Gacki, head of the Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), will conduct a Treasury-State mission to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the week ahead to discuss sanctions adherence, according to Psaki.
Per Psaki, the trip would focus on meetings with private sector leaders, and UAE government officials, to discuss corporations and financial firms that assist noncompliant Iranian trade.
All Iranian measures inherited from previous President Trump, who imposed them after pulling the US out of the nuclear deal with Iran in 2018, have been maintained by the Biden government.
The Obama Iran deal has always been flawed. It only appeased Iran and contributed to instability in the region. We need to stand up to the Iranian regime and protect our national security. https://t.co/sAVAwWTv0Y
— Congressman Jim Hagedorn (@RepHagedorn) December 6, 2021
Iran began breaching nuclear limitations established in the 2015 deal, one year after the United States pulled out. This brought them closer to having the capability to acquire a nuclear bomb. The pact would include France, Britain, Germany, Russia, and China.
Biden expressed his desire to rejoin the agreement.
However, ongoing informal nuclear talks between the United States and Iran in Vienna came to a halt last week. Iran’s new hardline administration, led by anti-Western Premier Ebrahim Raisi, rejected many of the concessions reached in the past six rounds of negotiations.
After Raisi’s victory in June, the talks were put on hold for five months. The seventh round of talks began on Thursday, with Iran’s lead mediator stating he would maintain the stances laid down by Tehran last week.
After an initial meeting with global powers on Thursday, Iran’s lead negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, told journalists, “Iran emphasized it is serious about resuming the talks, relying on its former stance.”
“If the groundwork (for a deal) is laid, Iran is sincere about reaching an accord. The reality that all stakeholders want the discussions to proceed shows they all want to close the gaps,” Kani said.
Biden moving closer to Israel’s call for 'plan B' on Iran – analysis
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Disagreement persists on the Iran Deal, but Jerusalem and Washington are growing more united on Iran.https://t.co/hmMUVd9MM7— RealizeIsrael 🇮🇱 (@realize_israel) December 12, 2021
“The runway is indeed very short, and there isn’t much time remaining,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price said of Iran’s diplomatic efforts to return to compliance with the nuclear deal.
Leaders in the Biden government have believed negotiation is the best way to bring Iran and the United States back into line with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Price stated, “We are still dedicated to seeing if this was the fact.”
