(NewsGlobal.com)- Amid the stagnant negotiations between the United States and Iran over the nuclear deal, foreign military and intelligence officials have reportedly concluded that Russia is being supplied with Iranian drones in its war against Ukraine. Following these reports, several U.S. and foreign government agencies issued an advisory warning on the cyber threats that Iran poses to U.S. police departments and transportation systems.
Despite these reports, the Biden administration continues to take the committed stance on reaching an agreement with the increasingly hostile Iran on nuclear proliferation.
“Our bottom line contention is this: It is not too late to conclude a deal,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters. “And as we’ve consistently said, as long as we believe that a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA would be in America’s national security interest, that is a diplomatic objective we will continue to pursue.”
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was negotiated in 2015 by then-President Barack Obama which reportedly stalled Iran’s nuclear procurement in exchange for sanction relief. The deal was subsequently withdrawn by former President Trump. Biden has remained committed to negotiating a deal, calling it a top priority, despite experts reportedly warning that the current deal, which would entail more U.S. concessions, is much different than the one first agreed to.
But spokesman Price argues that this is why it is important to revive the JCPOA. “Every single challenge we face from Iran’s ballistic missile program, to its support for proxies and terrorist groups, to its support for Russia in this case, to its malicious cyber programs — every single one of those challenges becomes all the more difficult if Iran has the perceived impunity that would come with a nuclear weapon,” said Price.
It was only a day after Price’s remarks that the FBI, NSA, Treasury Department, U.S. Cyber Command, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and British, Canadian, and Australian governments issued a joint statement warning against Iranian cyber activity, specifically referring to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Iranian state military and a U.S. designated terrorist organization.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid called for the U.S. and Europe to stop pursuing “failed negotiations with Iran,” leading to reports suggesting that the U.S. did “toughen up.” A senior official also reportedly offered information to the Europeans that showed that Iranians were lying to them while talks were ongoing.
