US discussing ‘freeze for freeze’ nuclear deal with Iran

New Delhi: The Biden administration is discussing a potential deal that would see Iran halt progress on parts of its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, according to a report. American officials have discussed the hypothetical agreement with their European and Israeli counterparts in recent weeks, Russia Today reported, citing Axios news website report. The new approach by the Biden administration indicates just how concerned the US is about recent advances in Iran’s nuclear program. The US has not ruled out diplomacy on reaching an agreement to return to the 2015 nuclear agreement but did take it off the agenda last year over Iran’s military assistance to Russia and Tehran’s crackdown on anti-government protests. In February, nuclear inspectors in Iran discovered uranium in the country enriched to 84 per cent purity, just below the level needed to develop nuclear weapons. To create a nuclear weapon, uranium must be enriched to at least 90 per cent. The IAEA had said in a tweet that it was aware of the new reports of Iran’s uranium enrichment levels. “The IAEA is aware of recent media reports relating to uranium enrichment levels in Iran,” the agency wrote on Twitter. “Director General @rafaelmgrossi is discussing with Iran the results of recent Agency verification activities and will inform the IAEA Board of Governors as appropriate.” As part of the US proposal, Iran would reportedly halt uranium enrichment at 60 per cent purity in exchange for the lifting of some Western sanctions on its economy. Tehran has denied that it is seeking a nuclear weapon, and the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran responded to the IAEA by insisting that it is not attempting to enrich beyond 60 per cent. The US proposal has been rejected by Iran, said a Russia Today report, citing Axios’ sources. Officials in Tehran reportedly said that they don’t want to sign an agreement with worse terms than the 2015 nuclear deal. The 2015 nuclear deal The 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was inked by Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, Germany and the EU in 2015. Under its terms, Iran agreed to strict oversight of its nuclear program in exchange for relief from US and UN sanctions. Former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018, claiming that Iran was not in compliance, and economic sanctions were reimposed. WH refuses to confirm or deny report The White House refused to confirm or deny the latest report, which a spokesperson dismissed as “second-hand rumors about diplomatic discussions.” According to the report, no Israeli officials commented on the story, although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in February that Israel favors economic sanctions coupled with a “credible military threat” when dealing with the Islamic Republic. Netanyahu has claimed for years that Iran is on the verge of producing a nuclear weapon, but his rhetoric has escalated in recent months. Israel was reportedly behind a drone attack on a military site in the Iranian city of Isfahan in February, which Netanyau followed by warning that a “horrible nuclear war” would ensue if Iran developed atomic weapons. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.