The parties may not be able to reach an agreement
Biden's dealings with Iran will not be "quick and easy"
Biden will not be as easy to deal with Iran as some imagine.
A.F.B.
Iranian nuclear weapons are a source of concern to America, Westerners and neighbors.
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When reality TV star Donald Trump took office, he was quick to describe Iran as the main villain of his presidency, eventually abandoning a landmark deal aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons and imposing economic pressure on Tehran.
Joe Biden has pledged to rejoin the 2015 accord that Washington agreed to when he was vice president, if Iran also returns to compliance with the agreement.
But diplomats and analysts said that was unlikely to happen overnight, because skeptical adversaries would want additional commitments from each other.
"Returning to compliance will not be quick and easy for either side," said Brookings Institution arms control expert Robert Einhorn.
"It will probably take six months or so, and it is possible that they will not be able to reach an agreement."
Biden received a sufficient number of electoral college votes, on Saturday, to assume the presidency, prompting the Iranian First Vice President to say that he hopes to change "destructive American policies."
Restrictions
In the agreement with the United States and major countries, Iran agreed to impose restrictions on its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
It began violating the nuclear deal after the Trump administration withdrew from the agreement in 2018, and began tightening unilateral sanctions against Tehran.
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Muhammad Javad Zarif, said that he wanted the United States to return to the agreement again, but he told CBS News a few days ago that "returning to the agreement does not mean renegotiating", because "if we want to do so (renegotiate) We would have done it with President Trump four years ago. ''
Biden said that returning to the agreement would be a "starting point for follow-up negotiations," and that Washington would then work with allies to strengthen and extend the nuclear deal, and address other issues of concern.
"If Iran chooses confrontation, I am ready to defend our vital interests and our forces," Biden wrote on the CNN website in September.
But I am ready to walk the path of diplomacy, if Iran takes steps to demonstrate its readiness as well. ”
Iran has demanded compensation for the "damage" it suffered in light of the renewed US sanctions, hinting at the need for Washington to compensate it for the oil revenues it lost, something that any American president would find difficult, if not impossible.
"All sides will raise their expectations," said a senior European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Everyone's priority should be to convince and push Iran to return to its nuclear commitments.
New penalties
Trump has also added new sanctions, including last month when he blacklisted sectors of Iran's oil industry - which were already on U.S. blacklists - under additional counterterrorism powers.
The Iranian economy is reeling under the pressure of the "Covid-19" pandemic, US sanctions, and low oil prices.
Biden said he would make sure that the US sanctions did not hamper Iran's efforts to contain the Corona virus.
Iranian officials have said that any talks should take place after the presidential election in Iran in mid-2021, in which anti-American security hawks are expected to win.
"I think what the Iranian leadership will try to do is to achieve a balance between the urgent needs of its economy, and some strategy for negotiating with the Great Satan," said Henry Roma, an expert on Iranian economics at the Eurasia Group.
Trump rejected the nuclear deal because he wanted a broader deal that would also address Iran's missile program and its regional activities.
The United States accuses Iran of interfering in the conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and other areas.
A United Nations report in June concluded that the cruise missiles that were used in several attacks on oil facilities and an international airport in Saudi Arabia last year were of "Iranian origin."
Biden said he "will continue to use targeted sanctions against Iran's human rights violations, its support for terrorism, and its ballistic missile program."
Arms control expert Robert Einhorn:
“Returning to compliance with the nuclear deal will not be quick and easy for either side.
"It will probably take six months or so, and it is possible that they will not be able to reach an agreement."
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