US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that Iran was
currently months away from being able to produce enough material to
build a nuclear weapon. And, he said, that timeframe could be reduced to
“a matter of weeks” if Tehran further violates restrictions it agreed
to under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
In an interview with NBC News, Blinken
reiterated the Biden administration’s intention to return to the deal,
formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), if
Iran resumes compliance first.
He would not commit to including the issue of American citizens detained by Iran as part of any agreement.
Last month, Tehran announced it was beginning to enrich uranium up to
20 percent — far beyond the 3.5 percent permitted under the nuclear
deal, and a relatively small technical step away from the 90 percent
needed for a nuclear weapon. Iran also said it was beginning research
into uranium metal, a material that technically has civilian uses but is
seen as another likely step toward a nuclear bomb.
Iran said last week it would also move to restrict short-notice inspections of suspect nuclear facilities from late February.
Antony Blinken speaks during his
confirmation hearing to be secretary of state before the US Senate
Foreign Relations Committee, on January 19, 2021 in Washington, DC.
(Alex Edelman-Pool/Getty Images/AFP)
It said Thursday it plans to install 1,000 new centrifuges at the Natanz nuclear facility and that its scientists had exceeded previous goals for uranium enrichment.
US President Joe Biden on Friday selected Robert Malley,
who helped negotiate the 2015 nuclear deal, to serve as his envoy on
Iran. The move is seen as another indication that the Biden
administration intends to return to the JCPOA. Hawks fear Malley will be
too soft on Tehran and not supportive enough of Israel.
A State Department official told AFP on Friday that Blinken was
“building a dedicated team,” led by Malley, to address Washington’s
relations with Iran.
Tensions have heated in the Middle East in recent weeks, both before and after Biden assumed control of the White House.
Iran and the Trump administration exchanged a steady stream of
threats before Trump’s term ended on January 20, and Iran carried out
fresh breaches of the nuclear agreement. Iran’s aggressive moves were
believed to be partially aimed at increasing its leverage ahead of
negotiations with Biden.
Iran warned Monday the US can’t return to the deal simply by
signing onto the agreement again, but rather must first remove all of
the sanctions it placed on the country after it withdrew from the
treaty.
Tehran has recently dug in on its position that US sanctions be
lifted before it considers making any conciliatory gestures itself,
while increasing pressure on Washington by further reducing its own
commitments to the deal.
This photo released November 5, 2019, by
the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, shows centrifuge machines in the
Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran. (Atomic Energy
Organization of Iran via AP, File)
On Sunday, the head of Iran’s influential Revolutionary Guard Corps
declared his country was in a position where it could work toward
overcoming sanctions without remaining in the nuclear deal.
Meanwhile Iran insists it is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons, a
position repeated last week by its Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad
Zarif.
The Biden administration’s policy on Iran is expected to be a point
of contention between the new US administration and Israel. Israeli
officials have voiced strong objections to the US rejoining the nuclear
deal, and have also issued threats against Iran in recent weeks.
Israel, along with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, are all
seeking to dissuade the Biden administration from returning to the Iran
nuclear agreement in its original form. The Biden administration has
pledged to consult with Israel and its other Middle East allies before
making decisions regarding Iran.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz said in an interview broadcast Sunday that Israel is still keeping open the possibility of taking action against Tehran’s nuclear project if necessary.
IDF chief Aviv Kohavi issued a rare public criticism
of the US plans on Tuesday and said that he had ordered the military to
develop operational plans for striking Iran’s nuclear program. Gantz
later appeared to rebuke Kohavi for the comments.
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