U.S. senators were reportedly warned on Wednesday by White House officials that Iran is "weeks" away in coming out with a nuclear bomb having enough resources for enriched uranium.
CBN News said the White House is raising concerns on the urgency of the nuclear talks in Vienna due to Iran's timetable for a nuclear bomb.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during the February 9 press briefing that there might be a need to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan Of Action signed by China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States that Iran agreed to comply to in 2015 on nuclear-related provisions.
"Our talks with Iran have reached an urgent point on mutual return to full implementation of the JCPOA. A deal that addresses the core concerns of all sides is in sight. But if it is not reached in the in the coming weeks, Iran's ongoing nuclear advances will make it impossible for us to return to the JCPOA," Psaki said.
Psaki's statements came in response to a reporter's question in line with Iran's announcement that "they have developed a missile that can strike Israel or U.S. bases in the region." She went on to say that President Joe Biden "asked his team to prepare a range of contingencies" back in December due to Iran being "at a pivotal point" of their progress. The press secretary stressed that such a "progress" occurred "in recent years as a result of the former president and his team pulling out of the nuclear deal."
In addition, Psaki disclosed that U.S. Department of State Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley and his team were in Vienna "for the eight round of talks" on this issue with Iran. The Department of State lifted on Friday waivers on the nuclear reactor in Arak, Iran. A move that allows foreign workers to operate on Iran's nuclear facility without being subjected to penalties from the United States.
The U.S. State Department held a press briefing on Tuesday where Principal Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter responded on the issues on Iran, Ukraine, and Russia. A reporter asked during the briefing on the result of the "resumption of talks in Vienna" that Malley attended. Porter disclosed that she, however, has "nothing" to say about it at the moment. Malley has just returned from Vienna and Porter "certainly wouldn't want to get ahead of the talks."
"Of course, if we do have updates, we'll be certain to share them with you as soon as we have them," Porter said.
Foundation for Defense of Democracies Research Fellow Benham Ben Talebu raised that the White House is claiming an urgency on Iran's "nuclear deal" out a "year of premature concessions."
"I think the late Friday news dump that everyone got that entailed the civilian sanctions waiver that the Biden administration gave is a sign of this escalating round of premature concessions that the administration is giving, signaling to Tehran that it is politically very eager to resurrect this nuclear deal," Talebu said.
"(They are) rushing and building this case for a urgent need for a deal off of a year of premature concessions, which we saw through indirect sanctions relief; lack of enforced sanctions; turning a blind eye to that list of Iranian oil exports throughout 2021, as well as having no clear plan to push back on the Islamic republic in the Middle East," he added.
