Iran launches 'indirect talks' with US President-elect Joe Biden

Iran has opened indirect dialogue channels regarding the nuclear deal with the administration of US President-elect Joe Biden, Israel’s Walla reported yesterday.

Quoting Israeli security officials, the news website said that the US Chief of Staff,  Mark Milley, and his Israeli counterpart, Aviv Kochavi, had a “lengthy professional discussion on Iran’s deal, with participation of a number of Israeli military leaders.”

The report pointed out that Kochavi also discussed “security developments in the region, the Iranian presence in Syria, ballistic missile projects, and common security challenges that the Israeli and American militaries would face in 2021.”

In May 2018, US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal which was signed by world powers including Germany and the UK. He subsequently imposed “unprecedented” sanctions on the Islamic Republic. In response, Tehran was said to have breached many of the deal’s core restrictions on its nuclear activities, noting that its breaches could be reversed if Washington’s moves are undone.

Biden, who takes office on 20 January, said he will bring the United States back into the deal if Iran resumes full compliance with its nuclear restrictions.

READ: Iran rejects IAEA call for new deal after Biden’s inauguration