Biden Says ‘Not Time To Give Up’ on Iran Nuclear Talks

There is some progress being made on nuclear talks with Iran, US President Joe Biden said during a news conference on Wednesday, adding: “It’s not time to give up.” Biden also said that the world powers conducting the current negotiations on reviving the 2015 nuclear agreement that would see Iran roll back its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief are all “on the same page.” Biden made the remarks during a two-hour news conference to mark his first year in office.

Talks in Vienna between Iran and the world powers began in April and took a hiatus in the summer for presidential elections in Iran which brought hard-line president Ebrahim Raisi to office. The talks resumed in April and have gone through six rounds. The United States, which left the agreement in 2018 at the initiative of former President Donald Trump, has participated indirectly in the negotiations. Biden has stated his goal of rejoining the agreement, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Since the US left the agreement, Iran has moved ahead with its nuclear program in violation of the 2015 agreement.