The Iranian nuclear deal, known by the acronym JCPOA, “
is dead
”, asserts Joe Biden in a video which circulated extensively on Twitter on Tuesday, and whose authenticity the White House did not dispute.
This video, which circulates without date or precise location, shows the president, flanked by bodyguards, during an informal exchange with people standing behind a metal barrier, one of whom wears a headband in the colors of Iran. , in what appears to be a gymnasium or multipurpose room.
Elements of the decor as well as the president's clothing seem to correspond to a campaign rally in early November in California, during which Joe Biden came to support a candidate for the House of Representatives.
Read alsoA return to the Iranian nuclear agreement not “probable in the short term”
“
President Biden, are you going to announce that the JCPOA is dead?
Can you announce it?
asks a woman to the Democrat, who shakes her hand.
“
He is dead but we will not announce it.
It's a long story
, ”replies the American president.
“
We don't want an agreement with the mullahs.
(…) They do not represent us
”, continues his interlocutor.
“
I know they don't represent you.
But they're going to have a nuke
,” says Joe Biden, known for his tendency to stray from official language, especially in informal exchanges.
Agreement denounced by Trump in 2018
"
The president's comments are entirely consistent with what we're saying about the JCPOA, which is not our priority right now
," said John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, asked about the video during an exchange with reporters on Tuesday.
"
We do not expect an agreement to occur in the near future
," he said again, without however using the same final wording as Joe Biden.
"
To my knowledge no one is questioning the authenticity (of the video) and I don't think we are going to investigate it
," he added.
The 2015 pact (JCPOA) offered Iran relief from international sanctions in exchange for guarantees that Tehran would not acquire atomic weapons, a goal that the Islamic Republic has always denied pursuing.
However, after the United States withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and the reinstatement of US sanctions, Tehran gradually freed itself from its obligations.
Joe Biden had pledged to try to resuscitate the agreement, but the negotiations started in April 2021 in Vienna are now at a standstill.
