US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington’s best option in dealing with Islamic Republic of Iran is diplomacy, but that his country actively engages in preparing alternatives.
"We continue in this hour, on this day, to pursue diplomacy because it remains at this moment the best option, but we are actively engaging with allies and partners on alternatives," said Blinken, during a press conference in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Iran's top negotiator blasted western powers' party to the 2015 nuclear deal for "persisting in their blame game".
Earlier, European diplomats warned Iran that the pact would soon be an empty shell if not revived. Britain, France, and Germany said on Monday that "time is running out" to rescue the pact, which they described as becoming an "empty shell" if negotiations do not progress.
"Some actors persist in their blame game habit, instead of real diplomacy. We proposed our ideas early, and worked constructively and flexibly to narrow gaps," Iran's top negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, said on Twitter.
Former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, deeming it insufficient to shut down projects with bomb-making potential. Iran denies seeking nuclear arms, but has breached the deal with expanded uranium enrichment.
US President Joe Biden has sought a return to the JCPOA, but Iran’s requests and changing of stances prevent the parties from reaching an agreement.
