TEL AVIV — Israeli Axios journalist Barak Ravid revealed on Monday that the Biden administration had discussed with European and Israeli counterparts the idea of an interim agreement with Iran. Indirect contacts were initiated, said the Axios report, by the administration in January, conducted mostly by European representatives. Such a deal would see Iran reverting to its previous 60% enrichment level activity in return for a partial easing of sanctions and thaw of some Iranian funds frozen by foreign banks.

"The idea of trying to reach a partial agreement between Iran and world powers attests, first and foremost, to US and Israeli distress over the impasse between the sides, which allows Iran to move toward nuclear breakout capacity in a continuous, creeping and worrying manner," a senior diplomatic source in the Middle East told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. "But it shows that the US has no other solution … to postpone the deadline as much as possible — that is, the point of no return at which it will have to consider using force against Iran, or simply accept it as a nuclear power."

There has been no official confirmation of the report, but its essence is clearly one of the ideas being entertained by the US administration given Iran’s accelerated weapons-grade enrichment. It also underscores yet again the colossal 2018 miscalculation by then-President Donald Trump, under strong pressure by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in pulling the United States out of the deal with world powers on curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

"Withdrawal from the agreement, without having an alternative plan, relying on the Iranians to succumb to pressure and accept a better and longer-term agreement, was a terrible strategic mistake," a former senior Israeli security source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity.