Biden considers Iran nuclear deal “dead” in leaked tape

The recording, which appears to be real and was likely filmed Nov. 3 during Biden’s visit to California, shows a woman asking Biden to state that “Joint Comprehensive Action Plan(the official name of the nuclear deal) no longer exists.

“President Biden, can you announce that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is dead?” the woman, apparently wearing a ribbon in the colors of the Iranian flag, asks Biden as she shakes hands with several people. And Biden replies, “No,” and she replies, “Why not?” She adds, “She’s dead, but we won’t announce it,” and she continues, “The story is long.”

JCPOA died for #Biden:
“He’s dead, but we won’t announce it.”
🇺🇸 #JointComprehensivePlanOfAction#CPA
#@POTUS pic.twitter.com/BzKB3Y0dWt

— Lynn Schore (@LynnSchore) December 20, 2022

The woman and the people next to her urge him not to make deals with the Tehran government. “They don’t represent us,” he says, while another adds: “They are not our government.” And Biden replies, “I know they don’t represent you. But they will have a nuclear weapon,” and then the recording ends.

The 2015 agreement provides for the relief of sanctions Iran In exchange for restricting its nuclear program, to prevent it from developing an atomic bomb, bearing in mind that Tehran has always denied wanting to achieve this and has affirmed the tranquility of its program.

After the United States withdrew from the deal in 2018, Tehran gradually returned to its commitments. Biden has pledged to try to revive the deal, but negotiations that began in April 2021 in Vienna have now stalled.

In response to a question about the registration, a National Security Council spokesman said White House John Kirby said no one questions its authenticity. He added that Washington wanted to revive the agreement, but it was not a priority given the war in Ukraine.

“The president’s remarks are completely in line with everything we’ve said about the JCPOA, and that’s not our focus right now,” Kirby told reporters.

And he added: “There is no progress now regarding the deal with Iran. We do not expect any progress at any point in the foreseeable future.” He continued: “We simply don’t expect to reach an agreement any time soon, while Iran continues to kill its own citizens and sell drones to Russia,” referring to Iran’s crackdown on demonstrations that have been going on for months and Russia supplying him with strike drones for use in Ukraine.

(AFP)