Discussions between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have stalled.

The information fed by Israel to the IAEA has all been debunked, with one exception: traces of processed natural uranium and slightly enriched uranium have been found at the Turquzabad facility, in Tehran Province. Tel-Aviv alleges that it served as a nuclear reserch site in 2003. According to Tehran, this deduction is utter Zionist nonsense: the only reasonable explanation would be that Israeli agents themselves contaminated the site before unveiling it.

This question is critical because, if Israel were right, it would prove that the Iranians at some point resumed Shah Reza Pahlavi’s military nuclear program that they had abandoned in 1988.

France, Germany and the United Kingdom – all parties to the JCPOA – are fixated on this point, however anecdotal, which is holding up the JCPOA negotiations. In this way, President Biden can change his mind without having to go back on his word.