U.S. open to starting talks on Iran nuclear deal

The Biden administration announced Thursday that the U.S. is willing to sit down with other world powers to discuss returning to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said the U.S. would accept an invitation from the European Union high representative to attend a meeting with Iran, Germany, and the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council "to discuss a diplomatic way forward on Iran's nuclear program." A State Department official told reporters that it's not yet clear if Tehran will agree to participate in the meeting.

The Iran nuclear deal, meant to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons, was abandoned in 2018 during the Trump administration. Iran is threatening to stop International Atomic Energy Agency inspections of its nuclear facilities next week, saying the U.S. needs to hold up some of its commitments made as part of the 2015 deal. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said if "Iran comes back into strict compliance with its commitments ... the United States will do the same."

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