Iran slams US ‘delay’ in response to nuclear proposals

TEHRAN: Iran on Monday criticised the US for what it said was a slow response to proposals aimed at restoring the 2015 nuclear deal between the Islamic republic and major powers.

The United States and the European Union have been studying Iran’s response to a "final" draft agreement on reviving the landmark accord for the past week. "What is important is the delay by the US side for issuing its response," Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said.

"We acted in this regard in a timely manner and always showed that we are responsible," he told reporters in Tehran. "The US government is responsible for the current situation, and if it shows its political determination in action seriously and alongside promise and comment, acts responsibly, we can move toward the next stage."

Since taking office in 2021, President Joe Biden has sought to return the US to the deal that was unilaterally abandoned by his predecessor Donald Trump in 2018. Talks on reviving the accord started in April 2021, and took a pause following the election of ultra-conservative Ebrahim Raisi as Iran’s president in June that year, before resuming in November.

The 2015 agreement between Iran and six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- gave the Islamic republic sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme.

The deal formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, was designed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon -- something it has always denied wanting to do.

The British, French, German and US leaders spoke about the Iran nuclear issue during a phone conversation on Sunday, according to a White House statement. They "discussed ongoing negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme, the need to strengthen support for partners in the Middle East region, and joint efforts to deter and constrain Iran’s destabilising regional activities," the statement said.

Meanwhile, a possible meeting on resurrecting the Iran nuclear deal could be held "this week" after Tehran submitted its response to an EU proposal, the European Union’s top diplomat said on Monday.

Efforts to revive the so-called JCPOA -- the 2015 agreement between world powers and Tehran aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions -- are at a critical juncture. "A meeting was scheduled to take place in Vienna at the end of last week, but it was not possible," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told a news conference in Santander, Spain.

"It is possible that it could take place this week." Earlier this month, after more than a year of talks coordinated by Borrell and his team, the EU submitted what it called a "final" text. The document aims at fully restoring the nuclear deal by bringing the United States back into it, after then-president Donald Trump had Washington withdraw in 2018.

That move prompted Iran to roll back its commitments under the JCPOA and steadily enrich its stock of uranium to close to weapons-grade levels. Borrell said the negotiations had gone as far as they could go and "this is the inflection point".

"There was an Iranian response that I considered reasonable to transmit to the United States. "The United States has not formally replied yet. But we are waiting for their response and I hope that response will allow us to finish the negotiation -- I hope so, but I can’t assure you of it." The other parties to the JCPOA are Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.