EU awaits US response on Iran deal
The European Union was awaiting the United States’ response to Iranian comments on an EU text on reviving the Iranian nuclear deal, officials said Thursday.
“Any moment, but it could be tomorrow of course,” an EU official said Thursday evening D.C. time (August 18) on when he was expecting the U.S. response.
“Waiting for U.S. reaction,” another European official said earlier Thursday.
The State Department said only, as it had all week, that it was continuing to review Iran’s comments, which were sent to the European Union late Monday.
“Our review of Iran’s comments on the EU’s proposal continues,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told journalists at the Department briefing Thursday. “We have continued to convey our feedback directly and privately to the EU, as has been requested.”
In a sign perhaps of the degree to which the U.S. administration was trying to keep its deliberations on the matter close to the vest, Price declined to confirm a call between US Iran envoy Rob Malley and Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi that the Omani foreign ministry had tweeted occurred Thursday, a few hours after the Omani Minister spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.
“Oman has played an important role…when it comes to discussions regarding a potential mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA, and has also played an important role when it comes to our efforts to see those Americans who are unjustly and wrongfully detained in Iran, to see them free,” Price said. “We thank Oman for that role it’s played.”
The National Security Council also rejected speculation and Israeli suggestions that circulated Thursday in anticipation of a possible deal that the U.S. was offering too many concessions.
“Reports that we have accepted or are considering new concessions to Iran as part of reentering the 2015 nuclear deal are categorically false,” NSC spokesman Adrienne Watson said.
“We have taken a deliberate and principled approach to these negotiations from the start,” an NSC spokesperson said. “If Iran is prepared to comply with its commitments under the 2015 deal, then we’re prepared to do the same. We have received Iran’s comments on the EU’s proposed final text through the EU and are studying them. Our communication with the EU is private. We have been in touch with them regularly throughout the process.”
Whenever it is sent, the U.S. response seemed unlikely to be a flat yes, suggested Ali Vaez, an Iran expert who closely follows the nuclear diplomacy.
“I doubt the US answer to Iran’s demands would be a yes,” Vaez, director of the Iran program at the International Crisis Group, said Thursday. “It’s likely either a no or a middle ground compromise.”
“If Iran still asks for more, I can’t see how the process can continue,” Vaez said.
Asked what prompted Iran to show recent interest in possibly wanting to move forward on a deal, the Quincy Institute’s Trita Parsi credited signs of flexibility shown in recent weeks by both sides, and exhaustive EU mediation leading to the finalizing of a 35-page text this month on reviving the pact.
“I think what happened is what happened every time there has been a breakthrough: both sides showed flexibility,” Parsi said.
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