The official explained that this round is better than the previous one, but the pace of negotiations is slower than the pace with which Iran is working on its nuclear program, stressing the need to speed up the pace of negotiations.
The US official did not rule out a return to a new round of negotiations before the end of the year, noting that this depends on the Iranians.
The official added that all parties, i.e. China, Russia, the Europeans and the United States, had a unified vision on the points of understanding, but they should not be dragged behind exaggerated enthusiasm, and say that a breakthrough occurred during this round, as he described it.
The US official stressed that the United States is ready to do whatever is necessary to move forward, but Iran must return to the negotiating table with an urgent vision to resolve the outstanding issues.
The official also said that the United States remains committed to lifting sanctions on the condition of Iran’s simultaneous return to its commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal.
The American official also said that the United States is not trying to reach a new agreement, but rather to return to the old agreement, and that this should not be a problem, but the problem is that Iran has advanced in its nuclear program and has gone beyond what was in the old agreement.
The official also made it clear that the time frame for returning to negotiations and reaching a final agreement depends on Iran’s desire to move forward.
He stressed that the responsibility now rests with Tehran, and that it is well aware of the sources of concerns about its nuclear program and the point at which the agreement will be exceeded.
The senior US State Department official also made it clear that diplomacy is the first option for the administration of President Joe Biden, but it will look for other means to fulfill the promise made by the president to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
The official said that Iran is well aware that there are two paths forward: either a full return to compliance with the nuclear agreement, or a path that leads to further political and economic isolation of Iran.
The official concluded by saying: “Yes, an agreement can be reached, but there is no more time, so the pace of negotiations must be accelerated.”
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