The Iranian Foreign Ministry has accused the US of attempting to destabilize the Middle East, in a statement that came shortly after President Joe Biden ended his Mideast tour, which included POTUS attending the Jeddah Summit for Security and Development that brought together the six members of
the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as well as Egypt, Jordan and Iraq.
Kanani also commented on Biden signing a security communique with Israel to reinforce a common front against Iran and pledging to use "all" US power to stop Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Additionally, he referred to Biden calling for more diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, emphasizing that “these false allegations [on Iran ostensibly trying to obtain an atomic bomb] are in line with Washington's seditious policy […] in the region”.
Biden added that “we will seek to build on this moment with active, principled, American leadership.”
This came a few days after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned that any “mistakes” by the US or its allies to stoke a regional crisis would be met with a “harsh and regrettable response from Tehran."
On Thursday, President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid signed a joint declaration on the security partnership between their two nations, with Washington pledging “never to allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon,” and expressing its preparedness “to use all elements of its national power to ensure that outcome.”
Both countries also pledged to continue discussing “the challenges and opportunities” related to Israeli-Palestinian relations. “President Biden reaffirms his longstanding and consistent support of a two-state solution and for advancing toward a reality in which Israelis and Palestinians alike can enjoy equal measures of security, freedom and prosperity,” the declaration pointed out.
Additionally, the US indicated its intent to add to building “a robust regional architecture”, deepening the ties between Israel and all of its regional partners, advancing Israel’s regional integration over time, and expanding “the circle of peace to include ever more Arab and Muslim States,” according to the document.
Separately, the declaration signaled the two sides’ resolve “to work together to combat all efforts to boycott or de-legitimize Israel, to deny its right to self-defense, or to unfairly single it out in any forum, including at the United Nations or the International Criminal Court.”
The developments unfold amid the Vienna talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, also known as
the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), negotiations that have faced a months-long impasse.
In May 2018, then-US President Donald Trump unilaterally left the JCPOA, also reinstating
strict sanctions on Tehran, to which it responded with a gradual abandoning of its own commitments under the Iran deal. The Biden administration signaled its readiness to renegotiate the accord, and the EU-facilitated talks in Vienna were launched in April 2021.
In 2015, Iran signed the JCPOA with the P5+1 group, which includes the US, China, France, Russia, the UK, plus German. document requires Tehran to scale back its nuclear program and reduce its uranium reserves in exchange for sanctions relief.