US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stated that his country, Germany, France and Britain are united in their efforts to return Iran to the nuclear agreement, while Tehran said that it does not see a serious will from Washington to return to the agreement.

The US minister reiterated that Washington still sees diplomacy as the best way to deal with the Iranian nuclear program, but he warned at the same time that his country is studying other options if negotiations fail.

He pointed out that Iran has indicated that it will resume nuclear negotiations with Europe "towards the end of next November."

In statements reported by "Bloomberg" news agency today, Sunday, Blinken said that the United States still hopes to persuade Tehran to resume compliance with the nuclear agreement concluded during the era of former US President Barack Obama, from which Iran withdrew, after former US President Donald Trump announced That his country will re-impose sanctions in violation of the agreement.

However, Blinken said that Washington "looks - if necessary - to other options, if Iran does not prepare to engage quickly and in good faith."

Blinken: Washington is looking - if necessary - for other options (Anatolia)

Tehran position

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said that his country only hears that Washington is serious about returning to the nuclear agreement, but it does not perceive a serious will from Washington to return to the agreement.

He added - in an interview with a journalist - that returning to the nuclear agreement does not require negotiations, but rather an executive decision from the US President to return to a point before the withdrawal of former President Trump, as he put it.

Abdullahian stressed that the Brussels talks were preliminary, and that Iran was determined to enter negotiations in Vienna, with the aim of lifting sanctions.

Abdullahian stressed that regional files must be discussed among the countries of the region, and that Tehran will not negotiate over them with the "4+1" group.

He revealed that he intends to make a regional tour to discuss a range of issues, including the nuclear file.

Earlier this week, Tehran said it would resume talks with world powers in November to revive the 2015 deal over Iran's nuclear program, after a five-month hiatus.

Abdullahian revealed that he intends to go on a regional tour to discuss a range of issues, including the (European) nuclear file.

Negotiations and tours

Iran held 6 rounds of indirect negotiations in Vienna with the administration of US President Joe Biden on returning to the agreement, but the talks stopped last June with the arrival of a new president to power in Tehran.

On Saturday, the United States, France, Germany and Britain expressed their "great and growing concern" over Iran's nuclear activities, and called on Tehran to "change its position" after a meeting of the leaders of these countries on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rome.

The four countries said - in a joint statement - "We are convinced that it is still possible to quickly reach and implement an agreement to restore respect for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action signed in 2015 by Iran and 6 major powers with the aim of ensuring that the Iranian nuclear program is limited in the long term to the purposes of Civilian, in preparation for the lifting of sanctions,” stressing that “this matter will not be possible unless Iran changes its position.

agreement and obstacles

After their meeting in Rome, US and French Presidents Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson agreed that "continued progress in Iran's nuclear activities and obstacles to the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency threaten the possibility of returning to the agreement."

In 2015 an agreement was signed in Vienna between Iran and the 5+1 group (China, the United States, France, Britain, Russia and Germany) that provides for easing international sanctions in exchange for restricting Iran's nuclear program and guarantees that it will not develop an atomic bomb.

Washington, under former President Donald Trump, withdrew from the agreement unilaterally in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions on Iran that the agreement stipulated to be lifted. In return, Tehran gradually abandoned the restrictions contained in the agreement.

The US President expressed his readiness to return to the agreement, provided that Iran resumes its commitments simultaneously.