US, EU say decision on Iran deal depends on Tehran
US and EU officials dismiss claims that an Israeli campaign has influenced negotiations, and say the next move is Iran’s.
There is complete radio silence between Tehran and Washington, with no messages moving via mediators. There appears to be a sort of “negotiations fatigue” among all the parties. Iran says the ball is in the United States’ court, and the United States says the opposite.
Pessimism has prevailed as European officials express skepticism over the possibility of reaching a deal anytime soon. On Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was “unlikely” an agreement to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) would be reached in the near term.
Israel is taking the credit for the dire state of the game after handing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz “sensitive and relevant intelligence information” on Iran’s nuclear program “that proved that the Iranians are lying while talks are still happening.”
A senior Israeli official told the Times of Israel that US Special Envoy on Iran Robert Malley was pushed to the side and that the Vienna talks “are no longer in Malley’s hands.”
