On Thursday, the Biden administration said they are ready to join talks with Iran and world powers to discuss a return to the 2015 nuclear deal, in a sharp repudiation of Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure campaign” that sought to isolate the Islamic Republic.
Biden administration also took two steps at the UN aimed at restoring policy to what it was before the former president Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018. The combined actions were immediately criticized by Iran hawks and are likely to draw concern from Gulf Arab states and Israel.
In addition to signaling a willingness to talk with Iran, the Biden administration also reversed Trump’s determination that all UN sanctions against Tehran had been restored. And, it eased stringent restrictions on the domestic travel of Iranian diplomats posted to the UN.
The State Department announced the development following discussions between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his French, German and British counterparts, and as Biden prepares to participate, albeit virtually, in his first major international events with world leaders.
The announcement came a day before President Joe Biden is to speak to leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies and later in the day address the annual Munich Security Conference. At both, Joe Biden is expected to discuss his commitment to multilateral diplomacy and his desire to undo damage that Trump’s positions may have caused over the previous four years.
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