In the past two weeks there were strong signals from Iran nuclear deal negotiators in Vienna, especially among the Europeans, that a finalized restored JCPOA deal was in the final stretches and even imminent. The question of if an agreement could be quickly reached would also immediately impact global oil prices, as Iranian oil would provide relief to supply sought by Western nations who have imposed far-reaching sanctions on Russia.
But on Sunday, the US top envoy for Iran talks, Robert Malley, appeared to pour cold water on the latest optimistic headlines, saying he's not confident a deal is imminent following almost a year of talks.
"I can't be confident it is imminent... A few months ago we thought we were pretty close as well," Malley told a Doha Forum conference, according to Reuters. "In any negotiations, when there's issues that remain open for so long, it tells you something about how hard it is to bridge the gap."
But Tehran was quick to rebut this negative assessment, essentially saying the ball is in Washington's court and suggesting that if there is no deal, it's due to the United States:
The U.S. special envoy’s remarks come as Iran is striking an optimistic tone. Kamal Kharrazi, a senior advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said a nuclear deal is imminent.
"Yes, it's imminent. It depends on the political will of the United States," Kharrazi said, according to Reuters.
One major potential obstacle that could derail a finalized deal is the US administration keeping Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a...