Iran rejects new US deal even before it is published

Joe Biden is a firm believer in the possibility of restoring stability to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). According to US sources, the next few weeks could be key to either completing an agreement or to completely fracturing the long-estranged US-Iran relationship. Washington expects to intensify its actions in the coming days, while Tehran has expressed its opposition to the conditions it expects the US to offer. Even before the official publication of the US proposal, Iran has refused to stop uranium enrichment without first lifting all sanctions imposed on it during Donald Trump's presidency.

For the moment, the first contacts have not taken place, but Biden's intention is that, at least, they can sit down to negotiate, something that for the moment seems complicated due to the Iranian position. Since Donald Trump's departure from the White House, the US position has been much closer and less combative than that of the former US president. Joe Biden expressed from the outset his intention to calm the waters that Trump had been responsible for stirring up during his four-year presidency. And contacts with Iran are one of the current priorities of the executive led by the president with the invaluable help of his vice-president - sometimes president according to Biden himself in the occasional slip of the tongue - Kamala Harris.

Sources in the United States suggest that they are going to request that Iran completely halt some of its activities and reduce its uranium enrichment to at least 20 per cent purity. In exchange, Washington is offering to reduce the economic sanctions imposed on Iran, something they do not intend to accept, as an Iranian official said as soon as he learned of US intentions: "Iran will not stop enriching uranium to 20% purity before the United States lifts all sanctions". However, sources point out that this is a draft and is still subject to change. If Tehran maintains such a combative line, it seems difficult for the superpower to change the minds of what it currently considers "one of the biggest, if not the biggest threat in the world".

Already at the beginning of this year Tehran rejected an offer made by Washington, although they hope that the conditions for this next proposal will be improved, something that has not happened so far, but until it is sent formally there is some optimism that Biden will be able to give even more of an arm twist. What is clear to both sides is that, if they cannot find common ground now, they may do so in the coming months. What is seen as fundamental is that the negotiations do not break down. If they manage to do so, they would guarantee a certain "stability" until September, when they would try again to save the agreement.

In the US there is a more progressive sector that is already questioning President Biden's real intentions. They believe that he is not being entirely sincere about returning to the JCPOA and that all he is doing is "theatre" to keep certain sectors of the population happy. There is also the complete opposite view in US society, which sees the Iranian presidential elections - due to take place in June - as an opportunity to weaken the Iranian state's aspirations for a deal favourable to US interests. However, it should be borne in mind that within Iran's borders the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is seen as a determining factor in the country's politics, which is why there are no plans to negotiate during the electoral campaign that will kick off in just over a month's time, scheduled for May.

Despite the attempts being made by the American side, Iran remains immovable with regard to its position in the dispute to retake the JCPOA. Shahrukh Nazemi, media officer at Iran's mission to the United Nations, has stated that "the US return to the agreement does not require a specific proposal. It only requires a political decision to go ahead with the full and immediate implementation of its obligations under the agreement". There is still a long way to go between the two sides, which are still unable to find a way to reach an agreement that will have to wait.