U.S.: We will not allow Tehran to possess nuclear weapons

The US envoy to Iran, Robert Malley, said on Wednesday that his country will not allow Tehran to have a nuclear weapon.

Malley said the chances of reviving the 2015 nuclear deal are weak at best.

He said Washington was ready to tighten sanctions on Tehran and respond to any Iranian escalation with Israel and other allies if the deal was not salvaged.

We don’t have a deal with Iran, and the prospects for a deal are weak at best, Malley said in testimony prepared for Congress, referring to indirect talks between the United States and Iran in Vienna that broke down in March.

If the agreement cannot be revived, Malley added, the United States stands ready to continue and strengthen our sanctions, respond strongly to any Iranian escalation, and work in concert with Israel and our regional partners.

Since the 2015 agreement signed by Iran and six major powers, Tehran has consistently violated its international obligations, enriching uranium more than once agreed, and bolstering its nuclear facilities with centrifuges.

More recently, Democratic and Senate Republican members have criticized the Biden administration’s efforts to revive the nuclear deal, saying it should do more to tighten sanctions on Iranian oil exports, particularly to China.