The Iranians don't even want to pretend that they want a plausible nuclear deal.
The Iranians just don't want to play ball with the Biden administration:
The new Iranian government ordered its negotiators to make demands that even the most pro-Iran Western officials could not accept. Initially the new Iranian negotiators made it clear that Iran wants all sanctions lifted before any serious, and probably unsuccessful, negotiations over ending the Iranian nuclear weapons program can take place. This attitude has not changed since May.
This attitude persists despite the many problems Iran is facing in the region and internally.
All Iran has to do is pretend they don't want a nuclear weapon to get the Biden administration to pretend to believe Iran. That outline of any deal has always been obvious. Democratic love for the mullahs is deep if unrequited.
But Iran is unwilling so far to make the smallest pretend concession to get the ball rolling. Which is odd considering what Biden is willing to do for Iran despite the obvious fact that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons.
Biden's nuclear diplomacy has two stages.
Stage 1:
And Stage 2:
The amazing thing is that the Iranians are such fanatics that they can't appreciate the difference in American policy after Trump:
So many problems would be better if the mullah regime in Iran was gone--or at least weaker with fewer resources. But I guess Biden agrees with Obama that Iran under the mullahs can be a successful regional power that provides stability.
Have a super sparkly day.
UPDATE: Amazingly, the Iranians find the Biden administration isn't surrendering fast enough:
Iran is ready to hold talks with European parties to a 2015 nuclear pact, Iranian Press TV quoted an unnamed source as saying on Wednesday, while the country's top nuclear negotiator is in Brussels to discuss a resumption of stalled nuclear talks.
And the Biden administration will find reasons to cave in to European demands for a deal--any deal--that allows everybody to pretend Iran isn't pursuing nuclear weapons.
