European intervention
The future of the landmark Iran nuclear deal hangs in the balance and its survival may depend on the unlikely success of last-minute European interventions with President Donald Trump.
Frenchpresidentemmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are to visit Washington separately later this month and, barring a sudden trip by Theresa May, will likely be the last foreign leaders invested in the deal to see Mr Trump ahead of his midmay deadline for the accord to be strengthened.
Mr Trump has vowed to withdraw from the 2015 agreementby12mayunlessus,british, French and German negotiators can agree to fix what he sees as its serious flaws.
Iran has said US withdrawal from the nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions would destroy the agreement and has threatened a range of responses, including immediately restarting nuclear activities currently barred under the deal.
Negotiators met for a fourth time last week and made some progress but were unable to reach agreement on all points, according to US officials and outside advisers to the Trump administration familiar with the status of the talks. That potentially leaves the Iran deal’s fate to Mr Macron, who will make a state visit to Washington on April 24, and Ms Merkel, who pays a working visit to the US capital on 27 April.
“It’s important to them and I know they’ll raise their hopes and concerns when they travel here to the United States in the coming days,” Mike Pompeo, the CIA chief and secretary of state-designate, told lawmakers on Thursday.
Pompeo’s testimony at his Senate confirmation hearing came a day after the negotiators met at the State Department to go over the four issues that Trump says must be addressed if he is to once again renew sanctions relief for Iran, officials said.
Those are: Iran’s ballistic missile testing and destabilising behaviour in the region, which are not covered by the deal, along with inspections of suspected nuclear sites and so-called “sunset provisions” that gradually allow Iran to resume advanced nuclear work after several years, which are part of the agreement.
Two senior US officials said the sides are “close to agreement” on missiles and inspections but “not there yet” on the sunset provisions.
The Europeans, who along with the Iranians, have said they will not re-open the deal for negotiation, are reluctant to automatically re-impose sanctions, but have agreed in principle that Iran dropping below a one-year breakout time should be cause to at least consider new sanctions, according to the official and the adviser.