April 6, 2021

There’s unity and ambition for a joint diplomatic process.
Deputy Secretary General Enrique Mora, European Union’s diplomatic service on new talks between America, Iran and European counterparts concerning the “Iran Nuclear Deal.”
- The meeting took place in Vienna, Austria on Tuesday, April 6th.
- Representatives from the U.S., Russia, France, Germany, the U.K., China and Iran gathered in one place; counterparts from Iran and the United States did not meet face-to-face.
- These countries participated in the 2015 “Iran Nuclear Deal” – a deal orchestrated by the Obama administration with the goal of using diplomacy to deter Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The Trump administration left the deal in 2018. The Biden administration has made detentes to re-enter the deal.
- Why It Matters: Iran has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism by the United States for decades – a designation only given to a handful of countries who support terrorist groups or activities. A nuclear-armed Iran would change the geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East and beyond. How best to keep Iran from that pursuit has bedeviled multiple administrations.
- Important Context: The U.S. and Iran have traded attacks. Iran-backed militias reportedly targeted a U.S. position in Iraq; the U.S. responded by targeting a Iranian position in Syria. The back-n-forth raising concerns and tensions in the Middle East.
by Jenna Lee,