Iran says it has sent “constructive” response on nuclear deal; USA disagrees

By: News Team

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Iran has sent a “constructive” response to U.S. proposals aimed at reviving Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran’s foreign ministry said, prompting some less positive comments from the United States.

“The text sent (by Iran) has a constructive approach aimed at completing the negotiations,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Friday, according to statements collected by the state broadcaster IRIB.

However, the US State Department made a different assessment.

“We can confirm that we have received Iran’s response through the EU,” a spokesman said. “We are studying it and we will respond through the EU, but unfortunately it is not constructive.”

White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said: “Some gaps have been closed in recent weeks, but others remain.”

The IRIB report said Iran’s response was sent to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who has been coordinating the negotiations. He did not elaborate.

After 16 months of indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, Borrell said on August 8 that the EU had submitted a final offer to break the deadlock in order to revive the deal.

Iran needs stronger guarantees from Washington for the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal, its foreign minister said on Wednesday, adding that the UN atomic watchdog should abandon its “politicized investigations” into Tehran’s nuclear work.

Under the 2015 pact, Iran had curbed its nuclear program in exchange for relief from US, EU and UN sanctions.

In 2018, then-US President Donald Trump reneged on the deal, saying it was too generous to Tehran. He reimposed US sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to resume previously banned nuclear activities and reviving fears in the United States, Europe and Israel that Iran may seek an atomic bomb.

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