US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Washington is preparing equally for scenarios with and without a mutual return to the nuclear accord with Iran.
During the daily press briefing, Price acknowledged that despite the “significant progress” that world powers negotiating in Vienna have made in recent weeks, “an agreement is neither imminent nor is it certain.”
Price warned that Washington is prepared to make “difficult decisions” to return Iran’s nuclear program to its limits under the landmark agreement.
Iran insists that the talks must lead to the removal of all US sanctions that were imposed against Tehran following Washington’s withdrawal from the agreement in May 2018.
“In fact, we are preparing equally for scenarios with and without a mutual return to full implementation of the JCPOA,” he said.
The US and Iran have held eight rounds of talks over the past year. Tehran refuses to sit down directly with American diplomats, meaning negotiators from Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia must shuttle between Iranian and American diplomats.
