Iran Claims Diplomatic Solution To Nuclear Crisis Still On The Table

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has held a call with EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell today in response to Borrell's letter yesterday warning that negotiations to bring Iran back into compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear accords had "exhausted" space for compromise.

• According to Iranian state media, Amirabdollahian told Borrell, "Iran welcomes the continuation of diplomacy and negotiations," and told the EU diplomat that the US must demonstrate it also desires a deal.
• Amirabdollahian: "The United States always states that it wants an agreement, so this approach should be seen in the agreement and in practice."
• US State Department Spox Ned Price said yesterday: "Well, I’ll start with something you’ve heard before from us, and that is that we’re not going to negotiate in public." He repeated that the US believes that the final deal is on the table and awaiting ratification from Iran.
• Price also confirmed that the US is working on a ‘plan B’ to prevent Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon in the event of the JCPOA talks failing to deliver Iran's return to compliance. It is unclear whether this plan will include a military option as requested by Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid in a joint press conference with President Biden in Israel, last month.
• Price: “We have. We’ve been working with partners and allies on this [plan B] for some time now.”
• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to give a press conference from the Department of State at the top of the hour. Livestream here: https://www.state.gov/todays-briefing-schedule/