“But it’s not easy. There are still serious differences of opinion that need to be further negotiated.”
Iran announced last week that it would enrich uranium to 60 percent purity, following an Israeli attack on a nuclear power plant in Natanz. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that Iran is actually working for it. It was not allowed under the 2015 nuclear deal, which was revoked by the United States, but not enough to make nuclear weapons.
The Iranian move is pushing for talks with the signatory powers in Vienna. Besides Iran, the European Union, Russia, China, Germany, France and the United Kingdom are at the table, while the United States is a little further away. EU Representative Enrique Mora said, “We have come a long way from easy work. We need comprehensive work now.” According to the satisfied Russian ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov, all participants expect success.
Former US President Donald Trump pulled the trigger on the so-called JCPOA deal in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions on Iran. His successor, Joe Biden, wants to renew the deal, but first wants to see gestures from Tehran that demand that Trump’s punitive measures be changed first. The deal ended in 2015 under US President Obama, when Biden was vice president.
