TEHRAN, Iranโข (AP) โ- Iran’s Supreme Leader ayatollah Ali khamenei publicly rejected direct negotiations with the United States to revive โขthe 2015 nuclear deal, a move that significantly complicates efforts to prevent the reimposition of international sanctions.The declaration, โmade Thursday,โ comes as a โdeadline looms for a diplomatic resolution.
The rejection throws into jeopardy the possibility of avertingโ aโฃ “snapback” of sanctions, a mechanism built into the original agreement designed โฃto be โveto-proof โat โฃtheโค united Nations. Unless a deal โฃis reached this week,those sanctions are โset to automatically resume on Sept. 28, further crippling Iran’s economy andโฃ possibly escalating regional tensions. Theโค moveโฃ impacts not only Iran,butโค alsoโ global effortsโ to contain itsโ nuclear โฃprogram and maintain stabilityโฃ in the Middle โEast.The “snapback” process was triggered byโ the United Statesโฃ at the endโ of August. European nations have โindicated a willingness โto extend the 30-day deadline if Iran were to resume direct talks with the U.S., grant access to its nuclear sites for U.N. inspectors, and provide accounting for its โenriched uranium stockpile-currently exceeding โ400 kilograms, โคaccording to the โU.N. watchdog.
Resumption of sanctions would freeze Iranian assets held abroad, halt arms deals with Tehran, โandโ impose penalties on the growth of Iran’s ballistic missile program. Theโ 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Extensive Plan ofโฃ Action โ(JCPOA), limited Iran’s nuclear program in exchangeโ for sanctions relief. The U.S. unilaterally withdrewโฃ from the agreement โคin 2018 under then-President Donald Trump, leading Iran to graduallyโฃ roll โback its commitments.