Iran is dropping some of its primary demands that were holding up progress toward renewing the Obama-era nuclear deal with the country.
"We think they have finally crossed the Rubicon and moved toward possibly getting back into the deal on terms that President Biden can accept," a senior U.S. official said, according to a Tuesday Reuters report. "If we are closer today, it's because Iran has moved. They conceded on issues that they have been holding onto from the beginning."
The news would be a welcome development for the Biden administration, which has made reviving the nuclear agreement signed under former President Barack Obama a cornerstone of its policy on Iran. The deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, was scrapped by former President Donald Trump in May 2018 in favor of a policy of "maximum pressure" on Iran.
The senior official told Reuters that the U.S. will now look to respond to a draft agreement proposed by the European Union, something made possible by Iran dropping some of its demands.
