The U.S. State Department announced today, Tuesday, that Iran must take steps to "de-escalate" regarding its nuclear program if it wants to make room for diplomacy with the United States, the first of which is cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). These comments from State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller during a press conference are the second occasion in days in which the U.S. has criticized Iran for its decision to prevent several IAEA inspectors from working in the country, which hinders the agency's ability to monitor Tehran's nuclear activities.
The U.S. and many of its Western allies fear that Iran's nuclear program could be a cover for developing nuclear weapons, a claim Iran denies. Miller stated, "Iran must take steps to de-escalate if it wants to ease tensions and make room for diplomacy." He added, "In just the past few weeks, we have seen Iran take steps to undermine the IAEA's ability to do its work... so if Iran is really serious about taking steps to de-escalate, the first thing it can do is cooperate with the agency."
Miller indicated that the steps he was discussing could serve as a potential prelude to resuming U.S.-Iranian talks, whether direct or indirect, related to Iran’s nuclear program. However, he did not provide further details. When asked if he was suggesting that Iran must take all these steps demanded by the U.S. before Washington would agree to engage in direct or indirect talks with Tehran, he responded, "I am not saying that."
The IAEA was responsible for verifying Iran's compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, under which Tehran limited its nuclear activities in exchange for the easing of sanctions imposed by the U.S., the European Union, and the United Nations. Former President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018. Efforts to revive this agreement collapsed about a year ago, and Washington is seeking a new way to encourage Tehran to curb its program.
