President Joe Biden acknowledged early last month that the possibility of reentering the Iranian nuclear agreement is “dead” but admitted that his administration wouldn’t announce it.
The president made the acknowledgment on the sidelines of a Nov. 4 election rally in Oceanside, California, though it wasn't reported until Tuesday, via an Axios report. Biden, in a recorded interaction with a rally attendee, acknowledged that any possibility of a deal “is dead, but we are not gonna announce it, long story,” when asked if he’d say so publicly.
National Security Council coordinator John Kirby cited Tehran's recent crackdown on protesters and its military assistance for Russia in the war in Ukraine, as reasons the deal is now off the table.
"The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is just not our focus right now. And it's not on our agenda. We simply don't see a deal coming together anytime soon while Iran continues to kill its own citizens and selling UAVs to Russia," he told reporters. "There is no progress happening with respect to the Iran deal now. We don't anticipate any progress anytime in the near future. That's just not our focus."
In October, U.S. Envoy for Iran Rob Malley said the administration wouldn’t “waste time” in negotiating with Tehran, among other U.S. officials who shared similar sentiments.
