EU and U.S. pressuring Iran to return to nuclear agreement

TEHRAN — President of the European Council Charles Michel spoke with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi over the phone to discuss the Iranian Nuclear Deal.

Michel stated via Twitter that he assured Raisi of the necessity of resuming the Vienna negotiations as soon as possible to return the nuclear agreement, noting that the EU would continue to cooperate with all parties to ensure the implementation of all provisions of the agreement.

He added that the European Union and Iran have common interests in several international and regional issues, especially with regard to Afghanistan.

Acting U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joey Hood affirmed that the U.S. is addressing Iran’s destabilizing threats to regional security and threats to commercial shipping.

Hood stressed the need for Iran to comply with the terms of the agreement, return to the negotiating table in Vienna, and not waste time in media statements, noting that the window for negotiation with Iran will not remain open forever.

In a clear and explicit threat to Iran, Hood stated that other options in the event of diplomatic failure are unpredictable, adding that President Joe Biden was clear in that the U.S. would prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon by whatever means necessary.

Commenting on the latest report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Hood asserted that Washington and its allies are troubled by Iran’s obstruction of the work of international inspectors.