U.S. welcomes EU plan to resume Iran nuclear deal

The spokesman for the U.S. State Department, Ned Price, has positively assessed this Tuesday the plan of the European Union to resume the nuclear agreement with Iran.

Although the US has so far declined to comment in detail on the proposal — put forward by the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell — Price said Tuesday that the big issues for reviving the 2015 international nuclear deal have been “largely resolved,” Bloomberg reported.

“This is the text that the EU has put on the table that is substantially based on the agreement that has been on the table for several months now,” the spokesman said, qualifying that such a plan is close to what the United States was seeking.

This Monday, the Iranian government forwarded its response to Borrell’s proposal, showing optimism about the chances of the deal materializing. Iranian Foreign Minister Hosein Amirabdolahian had explained that he saw a rapprochement “in the coming days” as feasible “if the United States shows a realistic approach and flexibility”.

Subsequently, the EU confirmed that it was studying Iran’s response, as well as explaining that it was holding consultations with the US and other participants in the agreement on the next steps to be taken.

Although in Brussels they defend that the proposal is final and the parties must accept whether to take it or leave it, Tehran has been stalling by insisting that its ‘red lines’ be respected.

The EU-sponsored diplomatic process in Vienna seeks to revitalize an agreement that, despite remaining in force, is badly damaged after the United States withdrew during Donald Trump’s tenure, and Iran breached agreed limits on its nuclear activity.