Israel pleased with US pivot to pressure in Iran nuclear talks
Pessimism and pressure are the buzz in Vienna, but the Iran nuclear talks still have a pulse.
US ramps up sanctions pressure on Iran…
Talks among the parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or Iran nuclear deal) resumed in Vienna on December 9, after a six-day pause, with low expectations, as we report here and here.
As negotiators reconvene, the Biden administration is ramping up enforcement of sanctions on Iran, sending a high-level delegation to the UAE to warn banks and companies there that Washington has “visibility on transactions that are not compliant with sanctions," and "that those banks and firms face extreme risk if this continues.”
Next stops by US officials to convey this tougher line on sanctions compliance could include Malaysia, Turkey and China, Iran’s leading trade partner, as the Wall Street Journal reports here.
