As the Iran nuclear talks start in Vienna, US President Joe Biden finds himself in a difficult position, betting on a favourable resolution but facing rising bipartisan worry that even if a deal is struck, it may not be enough to curtail Tehran’s nuclear program.
After ten months of indirect discussions that failed to produce the breakthrough Biden hoped for and the resurrection of the 2015 nuclear deal, which Donald Trump had rejected, the matter has been mostly ignored in Washington.
However, as Tehran’s capabilities grow and the end of the talks approaches, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which aims to prevent Iran from developing an atomic bomb, has taken on new significance.
Either the JCPOA is resurrected over the next few weeks or the Biden administration is confronted with a diplomatic disaster and plunges into the unknown.
In 2018, Trump withdrew the US from the Obama-negotiated agreement and reimposed sanctions on Iran.
Supporters and opponents of the agreement have been making their voices heard in Washington in recent days and US negotiator Rob Malley gave a closed-door briefing to the Senate on Wednesday.
