Blinken: Path to Diplomacy Open Now between US, Iran

By Staff, Agencies 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken again expressed US readiness to negotiate over the Iran nuclear deal on Tuesday, telling National Public Radio “the path to diplomacy is open right now.”

“Iran is still a ways away from being in compliance,” Blinken said. “So we’ll have to see what it does.”

The US left the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [JCPOA], under President Joe Biden’s predecessor, former President Donald Trump, in 2017.

Under Trump, the US imposed heavy sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Blinken noted it was a mistake to abandon the deal.

"Time has passed,” Blinken said. “And so if we're to get back into the deal, if Iran returns to compliance and we do the same, we need to work on an agreement that's longer and stronger than the original one.”

“But,” he added, “the first step would be Iran returning to compliance."