Blinken Says Iran Nuclear Deal ‘on Backburner’

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), currently is off the table, and blamed the lack of an agreement to resurrect the 2015 deal on Iran. Blinken made the statement on Tuesday during a news conference in Athens with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias. Blinken also said that the US is committed to making sure, along with Israel, that Iran will “never acquire a nuclear weapon.”  Blinken accused Iran of providing Russia with drones to assist it in its war against Ukraine.

“We continue to believe that, with regard to the nuclear programme, the most effective, sustainable way to deal with the challenge it poses is through diplomacy. But in this moment, those efforts are on the backburner because Iran is simply not engaged in a meaningful way,” Blinken said.