US Open to Other Options if Vienna Talks Reach Impasse: Blinken
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The United States alleges that Iran is not serious about going back to the nuclear agreement, overlooking all Israeli attempts to undermine the talks despite not being part of them.
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken
The first round of the Vienna talks concluded on Thursday, and with that, the United States and other countries - those involved and not - are commenting on the nuclear negotiations.
The White House claimed that Iran did not offer any constructive proposals to the table, accusing Tehran of not being serious about finding a solution to the nuclear issues.
White House Spokeswoman Jen Psaki asserted that the solution lies in Iran abiding by its obligations under the JCPOA and committing to the agreements between the Islamic Republic and major powers.
Blinken: The latest round of talks ended because Iran does not seem serious
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cited Friday Iran's "lack of seriousness" as the reason behind the latest round of Vienna talks ending.
He claimed that Iran does not seem serious about doing what is necessary to return to full compliance with the 2015 JCPOA.
Blinken said the United States would not allow Iran to draw out the process of reaching a nuclear agreement while "continuing to advance its program."
Washington will pursue other options if diplomacy fails, Blinken asserted.
"We're going to be consulting very closely and carefully with all of our partners in the process itself... and we will see if Iran has any interest in engaging seriously," he said.
"If the path to a return to compliance with the agreement turns out to be a dead-end, we will pursue other options," Blinken declared, declining to disclose what those "options" would be.
After the latest round of talks ended, French President Emmanuel Macron said they were not successful.
Macron, speaking at the UAE, asserted that the next round of talks could possibly "not reopen swiftly," warning that there could be a longer break in the talks that resumed on November 29.
Iran's lead negotiator in the Vienna talks, Ali Bagheri Kani, told Friday Al Mayadeen his country was willing to suspend remedial measures if the opposing side removes its measures that violated the nuclear deal.
"Since we have presented the two drafts, we've held several meetings with the other teams in Vienna," he said, noting that Iran expects the other teams to "give us their legal answers and logical arguments to our suggestions."
Meanwhile, "Israel" is growing more and more anxious about the talks, with the Israeli occupation Prime Minister Naftali Bennett telling "their friend" that "Iran is carrying out nuclear blackmail, and we must not give in to it."
"The obvious thing is to put it in place, and the West certainly has the tools to do that. Certainly, we must not keep making more and more concessions until it stops - that is not how bullying is dealt with," he asserted.
Additionally, Israeli Security Minister Benny Gantz, who will visit the United States next week, issued a letter in which he wrote, "I am sure that the United States is committed to its promise that Iran will not have nuclear weapons - this is a global, regional, and Israeli interest."
"The United States and Israel share common values ​​and interests - this is how it will be and will continue to be so," Gantz wrote. "The military, intelligence, and security are deepening," he concluded.
