Iran says not to wait “forever” for nuke deal if U.S. fails to make decisions

Tehran, Iran | Xinhua | Tehran will not wait “forever” for a possible nuclear deal if the United States fails to make decisions, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Tuesday.

The United States has already “walked away” from the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Khatibzadeh tweeted in response to his U.S. counterpart’s remark on Monday that Washington is ready to withdraw from the Vienna talks if Tehran becomes tough.

“Everyone has its own plan B, though U.S.’ has proven hollow. Blusters & bluffs have/will not work. Decisions do,” he noted.

“A deal is at hand, if WH (White House) makes its mind. Iran is willing, but will not wait forever,” he added.

Iran signed the original nuclear deal with world powers in July 2015. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed Washington’s unilateral sanctions on Tehran, which prompted the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments and advance its halted nuclear program.

Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in Vienna between Iran and the remaining JCPOA parties, namely Britain, China, France, Russia plus Germany, with the United States indirectly involved in the talks, to revive the landmark deal.

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Xinhua