U.S. seeks informal agreement with Iran

Publié le 15 juin 2023Mis à jour le 15 juin 2023

The Biden administration has been quietly negotiating with Iran to limit its nuclear program and free imprisoned Americans, according to officials from three countries, as part of a larger U.S. effort to ease tensions and reduce the risk of a military confrontation with the Islamic country.

The U.S. goal is to reach an informal, unwritten agreement, which some Iranian officials are calling a “political cease-fire.” It would aim to prevent a further escalation in a hostile relationship that has grown even more fraught as Iran builds up a stockpile of highly enriched uranium, supplies Russia with drones for use in Ukraine and brutally cracks down on domestic political protests.

Details:

Iran would agree not to enrich uranium beyond its current production level of 60 percent purity. It would also halt lethal attacks on American contractors in Syria and Iraq by its proxies, expand its cooperation with international nuclear inspectors and refrain from selling ballistic missiles to Russia, Iranian officials said.

Reciprocity:

Iran would in return expect the U.S. to avoid tightening sanctions that were already choking its economy; to not seize oil-bearing foreign tankers, as it most recently did in April; and to not seek new punitive resolutions at the U.N. or the International Atomic Energy Agency for its nuclear activity.

(source: nytimes.com)