EU warns of "weaker" US-Iran deal without broader talks

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that ongoing peace negotiations between the United States and Iran risk producing a weaker agreement than the landmark 2015 nuclear deal, AP reports.

Speaking in Cyprus, Kallas cautioned that the scope of the talks could determine their effectiveness. “If the talks are only about the nuclear (issue) and there are no nuclear experts around the table, then we will end up with an agreement that is weaker than the JCPoA was,” she said, referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action reached during the administration of Barack Obama. The agreement was later abandoned by the United States under Donald Trump in 2018.

Kallas also stressed that limiting negotiations to nuclear issues alone could leave broader security concerns unaddressed. She warned that if discussions fail to include Iran’s “missile programs, their support to proxies, and also hybrid and cyber activities in Europe,” there is a risk “we will end up with a more dangerous Iran.”

By Vafa Guliyeva