Biden kicks the Iran can down the diplomatic road

FOR some months now, the expectations in Washington and other world capitals have been that the earlier diplomatic efforts to reach a deal between the United States and Iran aimed at curbing the Islamic republic’s growing nuclear programme would reach a dead end.

The US, under former President Donald Trump, unilaterally pulled out of the accord Tehran signed with world powers in 2018; the accord imposed stringent limits on Iran’s nuclear programmes and included Tehran’s agreement for strict international inspection of its nuclear sites in exchange for the removal of economic sanctions on it.

President Joe Biden took office pledging to revive the pact, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). But there have been no formal negotiations on the nuclear deal since last November, when Iran walked away from a proposed deal and US administration officials expressed to reporters pessimism about the chances of reaching a new agreement.