US set to talk with Iran to revive 2019 nuclear deal

According to the initial details, Washington would return to the accord formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if Tehran came into full compliance with the deal.

The said agreement is aimed to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Us now seeking to revive the nuclear itself abandoned the agreement nearly three years ago. The latest move reflects the change in US administration, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressing President Joe Biden to take the decision.

US acknowledged Pompeo's claims re Res. 2231 had no legal validity.

We agree.

In compliance w/ 2231:

US unconditionally & effectively lift all sanctions imposed, re-imposed or re-labeled by Trump.

We will then immediately reverse all remedial measures.

Simple: #CommitActMeet

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) February 19, 2021

On the proposal, Iran reacted casually to the idea, put forward by Blinken during a video meeting with the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany - a group known as the E3 - gathered in Paris. A joint statement from the four nations said "If Iran comes back into strict compliance with its commitments under the JCPOA, the United States will do the same and is prepared to engage in discussions with Iran toward that end,".

Responding to the four nations' statement, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said U.S.  should make the first move. Whereas Tehran has set a deadline of next week for Biden to begin reversing sanctions imposed by Trump, or says it will take its biggest step yet to breach the deal - banning short-notice inspections by the UN nuclear watchdog. 

Instead of sophistry & putting onus on Iran, E3/EU must abide by own commitments & demand an end to Trump's legacy of #EconomicTerrorism against Iran

Our remedial measures are a response to US/E3 violations. Remove the cause if you fear the effect

We'll follow ACTION w/ action.

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) February 18, 2021

According to a US letter to the United Nations Security Council, The United States has also withdrawn a Trump administration assertion that all UN sanctions had been re-imposed on Iran in September. The US also hinted there could be a way to bridge the impasse over who should go first in returning to the deal.

The progress that United States would be the first by relaxing its economic sanctions or Iran by adhering to limits on its atomic program is yet to be seen.

Iran began breaching the deal in 2019, about a year after former US President Donald Trump withdrew and re-imposed US economic sanctions, and has accelerated its breaches. US officials have also offered some peace-making gestures toward Iran such as relaxing the travel restrictions on diplomats in its mission to the United Nations that the Trump administration imposed in 2019.