A new nuclear deal with Iran could be forged in the coming days, according to various media reports.
A March 4 Reuters report cited chief diplomats from Britain, France and Russia all saying the deal could happen soon, according to Jewish Telegraphic Agency. In a follow-up report on March 7, Reuters stated that an agreement is “close, but there are still some significant differences to overcome between Washington and Tehran and the war in Ukraine has also begun to impact the negotiations.” Reviving the deal, which the Trump administration exited in 2018, has been one of the top priorities of the Biden administration.
It is not yet known what exactly will be in the new deal. But Mikhail Ulyanov, who has been leading the negotiations for the Russians, said that Iran has gotten “much more than it could expect” from the negotiations so far, per the Washington Free Beacon. Ulyanov credited the Iranians for “quite successfully” fighting “for every comma, every word.” He also praised the Chinese government for being “very efficient and useful as co-negotiators.”
Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Fox News Sunday, “If you got the classified briefings that I’ve gotten about how close Iran is to a nuclear weapon right now, you would agree that we cannot leave a good deal on the table.”
NEW: @ChrisMurphyCT says Iran could be weeks away from a Nuclear Weapon;
“If you got the classified briefings that I’ve gotten about how close Iran is to a nuclear weapon right now, you would agree that we cannot leave a good deal on the table.” #FoxNewsSunday
— FoxNewsSunday (@FoxNewsSunday) March 6, 2022
Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundations of Defense Democracies (FDD) think tank, tweeted in response to Murphy: “Since Israel probably provided the bulk of the intelligence that formed your classified briefing, and Israel strongly opposes the emerging deal in Vienna, perhaps it’s worth listening to their assessment. They’ve publicly said that it’s better to walk [away] and return to pressure.”
Since Israel probably provided the bulk of the intelligence that formed your classified briefing, and Israel strongly opposes the emerging deal in Vienna, perhaps it’s worth listening to their assessment.
They’ve publicly said that it’s better to walk way and return to pressure. https://t.co/PDeF9ee0PI
— Mark Dubowitz (@mdubowitz) March 6, 2022
Richard Goldberg, senior adviser for FDD, wrote in a March 4 New York Post op-ed that the new deal would remove sanctions for myriad “banks and firms” that fund “the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations” and might remove the Revolutionary Guard Corps from the United States’ list of designated terror organizations. Additionally, Goldberg noted that 1,200 Gold Star family members urged the Biden administration in January not to give money to the Iranian government until the regime pays “the $60 billion in judgments owed to American victims of Iran-sponsored terrorism. To date, the White House has not responded to their plea.” “What must Iran do in exchange for $100 billion in sanctions relief, freedom from terrorism sanctions and a blind eye toward its nuclear secrets? Not much,” he argued. “Iran will be able to threaten the world at a time of its choosing since it can keep enriching uranium and developing long-range nuclear-capable missiles to menace the American homeland. And the infamous sunset provisions of the old deal remain in place—they ensure the near-term expiration (or “sunset”) of all key restrictions. This sets up a nuclear crisis as early as 2025 even if Iran abides by the terms of the new agreement.”
A spokesperson for the State Department told The Daily Mail: “We are prepared to make difficult decisions to undo the previous administration’s failed ‘maximum pressure’ policy, which has led to an escalating nuclear crisis and to greatly increased threats to U.S. citizens, interests, and partners in the region.”
