Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Aug 04, 2025

No positive developments on JCPOA but US still committed to deal: State Dept

No positive developments on JCPOA but US still committed to deal: State Dept

“This administration remains categorically committed to mutual return to full implementation of the JCPOA,” a senior State Department official told reporters on a phone call.
A senior State Department official on Friday lamented the lack of progress on a return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal but stressed that the Biden administration remains determined to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“This administration remains categorically committed to mutual return to full implementation of the JCPOA,” the official told reporters on a phone call. “We assess that to be strongly in the US national interests, and we’ll continue to work with our allies and partners to try to conclude and to begin that reimplementation.”

Prior to this week’s UN General Assembly, US officials played down the prospects of any breakthroughs in talks as senior officials from Washington and Tehran would both be in New York. There was still a glimmer of hope for some officials who continue to strike an optimistic tone about the ability to reach a deal.

“We didn’t hear anything particularly positive in New York this week,” said the official who was speaking on condition of anonymity.

The official pointed to Iran’s demand that the UN nuclear watchdog closes its probe into undisclosed nuclear activities inside the Islamic Republic. “Our bottom line here is very clear: the IAEA has asked some questions that Iran needs to answer… That is the absolute heart of the IAEA mandate… and we are 100 percent supportive of their independent efforts to execute that mandate,” the official said.

Biden administration officials have defended efforts to reach an agreement with Iran, saying that problems in the Middle East would not become easier to solve without a nuclear deal with Tehran.

But as indirect talks have gone on for over 16 months, critics and many Democratic lawmakers have called on the US president to walk away from the table.

On multiple occasions, it appeared that a deal was within reach. However, according to Washington, Iran repeatedly threw in last-minute demands and reneged on previous promises.

And in a bid to ramp up pressure on Iran, the Biden administration levied sanctions against various Iranian sectors, including its drone program and other security apparatuses.

This week, the US sanctioned Iran’s so-called morality police after a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman died in custody after being detained for “improper hijab.”

This sparked nationwide anti-government protests and led the Iranian government to restrict or cut off internet access for many Iranians.

On Friday, the US Treasury Department issued general licenses to expand the range of internet services available to Iranians after Ebrahim Raisi’s government cracked down.

The State Department official said the Biden administration would continue to use all of the tools it has to address concerns about Iran “whether we’re negotiating to return to the JCPOA, in the JCPOA, or not.”

Nevertheless, the official defended the JCPOA saying it was only meant to deal with Iran’s nuclear program and not its drone technology, arms proliferation, support for terrorist groups, or human rights abuses.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
×