US discussing proposal with Israel, allies, to resume Iran nuclear talks: report

The United States has discussed a proposal with its allies, including Israel, for resuming nuclear talks with Iran.

The aim is to freeze parts of Tehran’s nuclear programme in return for some relief for crippling sanctions that continue to punish Iran’s economy, according to Axios.

Iran has stridently advanced its nuclear programme over the past few years, enriching uranium far beyond the limits set within the 2015 nuclear deal even as agreement talks have stalled. 

US officials reportedly mentioned to their counterparts in Israel, France, the UK and Germany that they were considering a proposal whereby Iran would curb its uranium enrichment at 60 percent in exchange for relief from sanctions. 

Iran has already amassed 87.5 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, according to a Frebruary report by the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Uranium enriched to 90 percent is weapons grade, according to experts. 

US officials reportedly began discussing the proposal in January. Iran knows about the proposal but is not on board, according to Axios. Instead, Tehran wishes to return to the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, according to Israeli and Western diplomats. 

The New Arab has reached out to the Iranian foreign ministry for comment. 

Western powers and Iran had nearly reached an agreement last year, but it fell through after the Western countries rejected Tehran’s demand to shut down IAEA inspections into its nuclear sites.