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Iran rejected on Sunday an invitation from global powers who signed the 2015 nuclear deal to discuss the regime’s potential return to the negotiating table, a significant setback in the Biden administration’s efforts to revive the agreement. The Biden administration has previously said that it wants to revive the nuclear deal but won’t suspend sanctions until Tehran comes back into compliance. Tehran has refused to negotiate while U.S. sanctions remain in place. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), brokered by the Obama administration, lifted sanctions on Iran that had crippled its economy and cut its oil exports roughly...

Israel’s leader says Western powers are “caving” into Iran even as the Islamic Republic keeps railing against them. Responding to the Iranian supreme leader’s call to continue the struggle against the United States regardless of the outcome of nuclear talks, Benjamin Netanyahu says Sunday his country will not accept such a reality. …

The United States made clear on Wednesday that it will not consider an extension to reach an agreement on curbing Iran's nuclear program, despite indications from France and Iran that talks may stretch into July. "We're not contemplating any extension beyond June 30," State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said at a news briefing, according to the Reuters news agency. He added that the United States believes the world powers working with Tehran can achieve their goal of reaching an agreement by the self-imposed deadline. Secretary of State John Kerry plans to travel to Geneva for a May 30 meeting with...

Progress? The President must be joking President Obama seems to have been unduly optimistic in triumphantly proclaiming the success of the P5+1 talks with Iran in Lausanne. Speaking from the White House President Obama announced: “Today, the United States—together with our allies and partners—has reached a historic understanding with Iran, which, if fully implemented, will prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.” There was only “an understanding”—not even a piece of paper initialled by representatives of all the parties to the long and complex negotiations - that President Obama could wave to the waiting media setting out what that “understanding”...

The Obama approach is to remove all threats of military action, remove all economic sanctions, trust Iran to keep its word . . . and then sign a deal that even he doesn't claim keeps them from getting the bomb. Obama on NPR: Sure, this Iran deal only delays the inevitable You thought the nuclear deal with Iran was “historic” and would keep the Iranians from getting the bomb, right? OK, you didn’t actually think that, but you thought the Obama Administration was at least willing to claim as much to put a happy face on such a horrendous pile...

In an announcement that seems certain to further inflame opinions about a proposed deal to limit Iran’s nuclear capacity, it was revealed today that Russia’s state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec has offered to sell advanced anti-aircraft missiles to Iran. Related Stories Kerry Says Iran Extension Worth It Only If Deal Almost Done Bloomberg Iran leader says no nuclear deal better than bad one AFP World powers 'united', Kerry says ahead of new Iran nuclear talks AFP 'Significant gaps' remain in Iran nuclear talks: Kerry AFP

With a first round of nuclear negotiations with world powers ending without agreement, Iranian officials looked ahead Sunday to parallel talks with the U.N.’s nuclear chief amid reminders that concessions by Tehran have limits. The overall message from Iran closely mirrored the work-in-progress tone of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and other powerful envoys, who failed to seal a first-step accord during overtime talks in Geneva and but then quickly agreed to try again next week. The administration of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is emphasizing that the talks are a work in progress. He’s mollifying hard-liners by reasserting that...