“We have to show a lot of patience, but the current situation is now unbearable because for months Iran has been holding back,” said Catherine Colonna last night, appearing before the international affairs committee of the French National Assembly.
Iran has a “window of opportunity” of just “a few weeks” to reach a deal on the country’s nuclear energy program, France’s foreign minister warned on Tuesday, calling the current situation “unbearable”.
“We have to show a lot of patience, but the current situation is now unbearable because for months Iran has been holding back,” said Catherine Colonna last night, appearing before the international affairs committee of the French National Assembly.
“There is still a window of opportunity, an open space, for Iran to finally decide to accept the agreement that it helped put together, but time is running out fast,” Ms. Colonna stressed.
“Time is running out, Tehran must realize this,” he insisted. “The window of opportunity will close in a few weeks. There will be no better deal than the one on the table.”
The agreement, which imposed restrictions on the nuclear energy program of the Islamic Republic – which the West and Israel say is seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, which it steadfastly denies – was signed in 2015 by Iran and six major powers (the US, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany).
But the agreement is in tatters after the unilateral withdrawal of the US in 2018, by the decision of then-President Donald Trump, who described its provisions as insufficient and reimposed suffocating economic sanctions on Tehran.
In retaliation, the Islamic Republic began to progressively renege on commitments it had made under the agreement, breaching limits set on its nuclear energy program, while insisting on denying that it intends to acquire a nuclear arsenal.
Since April 2021, negotiations have been underway to save the agreement, formally the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in vain so far.
Close talks were held in late June in Doha between the US and Iran, with the European Union acting as mediator, but there was “no progress”, according to Washington.
This dossier will be at the heart of the Middle East tour that US President Joe Biden is embarking on, who is expected later in the day in Israel and on Friday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“My administration will continue to increase diplomatic and economic pressure until Iran is ready to return to compliance with the 2015 deal on its nuclear energy program, which I remain willing to do.
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