As disagreements between the United States and Iran regarding the nuclear file continue, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has hinted at his country's withdrawal from the nuclear talks. After six rounds of international discussions with Tehran in the Austrian capital, the U.S. Secretary expressed in an interview with The New York Times on Saturday that Iran's continued development of its nuclear program could soon become an insurmountable obstacle.
He stated, "If they continue to operate more advanced centrifuges at higher and higher levels, we will reach a very difficult point practically," indicating that it would then be impossible to revert to the original terms of the nuclear agreement made in 2015. In response to a question about when President Joe Biden's administration might withdraw from the nuclear talks, he said, "I cannot specify a date, but it is approaching." He emphasized that preventing Iran from obtaining military nuclear capabilities remains a national interest for the United States.
Substantial Disagreements
It should be noted that Blinken also stressed during a joint press conference with his French counterpart in Paris that substantial disagreements still exist regarding the nuclear agreement. He confirmed that his country would not reach a deal to revive the failing agreement, from which the U.S. administration withdrew, unless the Iranian authorities fulfill their nuclear commitments. He considered that returning to this agreement would be extremely difficult if negotiations continue for too long.
Days ago, a senior State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, warned that failure to overcome these disagreements in the near future could lead his country to reassess the entire negotiation process. It is worth mentioning that the remaining countries in the agreement (the UK, France, Germany, China, and Russia, with indirect participation from the U.S.) began nuclear negotiations with Iran last April; however, the past six rounds have yet to result in an agreement. The timing for the start of the seventh round has not been defined yet, despite speculations and leaks suggesting it might begin at the start of the next month (July).
