According to a video that leaked Tuesday, United states President Joe Biden claimed last month that the multi-state agreement with Iran to restrict its nuclear program was “dead,” but he would not make that declaration in public.
In the video, which appears to be real and was presumably recorded on November 3 during Biden’s visit to California, he is requested by a woman to declare that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) from 2015 is no longer in force.
President Biden shakes hands with the woman, who appears to be wearing a hair ribbon in the colors of Iran’s flag, and requests, “President Biden, could you please announce that the JCPOA is dead.”
“No,” Biden replies.
“Why not?” the woman retorts.
“It is dead, but we are not going to announce it,” the 80 years old US leader said. “Long story,” he adds.
Before the now-famous video ends, Mr. Biden says, “I know they don’t represent you.” But, they will have a nuclear weapon.
The White House did not refute Vice President Biden’s remarks, which came after Iran had not surrendered to months of pressure to embrace the JCPOA’s final terms despite being abandoned by his predecessor Donald Trump in 2018.
Since April 2021, negotiations to resurrect the agreement have taken on in Vienna, and early this year, Iran and the United States seemed to be very close to reaching an agreement.
There hasn’t been any development since, and Josep Borrell, the head of foreign policy for the European Union, issued a warning in September that the parties were in fact “diverging.”
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby responded to the viral video by saying that nobody was doubting its veracity.
Washington, he claimed, still desires to revive the JCPOA, but doing so is not a top priority in light of the conflict in Ukraine.
Watch the video below.