US Special Envoy to Iran Robert Malley said today, Wednesday, that Tehran is a few weeks away from obtaining enriched fissile material for making nuclear weapons.
Mali added, in press statements, that US President Joe Biden said that he might agree to the military option against Iran in the event that diplomacy, pressure and sanctions fail.
He added that Washington's first option to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains diplomacy, but said there are other tools.
With regard to the negotiations to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, the US diplomat said that the concerned parties were close to reaching an agreement, before Iran came to the demand to end the IAEA's investigations into supposed unauthorized nuclear activities.
Mali also said that his country continued to put pressure on Iran and imposed sanctions on it for its support of what he described as terrorism and its violation of human rights and the missile program, as he put it.
A few weeks ago, European and American officials confirmed that the negotiations to revive the nuclear agreement had reached a dead end, especially due to Tehran's demand to stop investigations conducted by the International Atomic Energy Agency on its nuclear activities.
Earlier this month, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Mohammad Eslami, said Iran had begun enriching uranium to 60% at the Fordow nuclear facility.
Russia support
On another issue, the US special envoy to Iran said that the Iranian regime stands with Russia now and provides it with military equipment and trainers to invade another country, echoing previous accusations of Iran's support for Russia in its war on Ukraine.
Robert Malley said the United States had already taken steps to make it difficult for Iran to transfer drones and military equipment to Russia.
Tehran had acknowledged that it had provided Moscow with drones, but before the start of the war against Ukraine on February 24.
With regard to the ongoing protests in Iran since last September, the US official said that it is very important for the world to know what is happening inside this country, adding that the Iranian regime is trying to divert attention from what is happening, as he put it.
Mali added, "It is Iranian women who are writing history now, and we are not the ones who define the aspirations of the Iranian people."
Washington had previously announced its support for the protests in Iran, and Tehran denounced the positions of the United States and other Western countries, accusing them of interfering in their internal affairs.