WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden spoke Sunday with fellow Western leaders looking to revive a nuclear deal with Iran, as the U.S. weighs a response to Tehran’s position on the latest proposal.
Biden spoke Sunday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The four nations were among the signatories of the original deal, which also included Russia and China.
The quartet discussed “ongoing negotiations” toward a deal, including “the need to strengthen support for partners in the Middle East region,” according to a U.S. summary of the call released Sunday.
The four leaders also talked about “joint efforts to deter and constrain Iran’s destabilizing regional activities,” the readout said. In addition, they discussed the ongoing situation in Ukraine and pledged continued support for the nation in its fight against Russia’s invasion.
Negotiations will continue. Iran submitted its response on Aug. 15 to a framework circulated by the EU for a deal, which the EU took as constructive. The U.S. has stayed tight-lipped on its position about Iran’s viewpoint.
“Our review of Iran’s comments on the EU’s proposal continues,” State Department Spokesman Ned Price said Thursday. “That initial EU proposal was based substantially on the agreement that has been on the table since March and that Iran has been in a position to accept since March, if it had the political will to do so.”
Axios reported Saturday that the U.S. is looking to calm fears in Israel about a possible deal. The U.S. has downplayed the tension, and it’s not clear how much of Sunday’s call was dedicated to the need to support Middle East partners.
The U.S. and Israel “see eye-to-eye on this overarching priority of ensuring that Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon,” Price said on Aug. 18.
The previous deal fell apart after then-U.S. President Donald Trump backed out in 2018. Tehran followed that by accelerating its uranium enrichment efforts.
The ongoing volatility of the U.S. position hangs over this round of talks. One adviser to Iran’s nuclear negotiating team, academic Mohammad Marandi, has said Tehran wants a clause ensuring the U.S. would “pay a price” if it again withdrew.
