UNITED NATIONS: The door to resuscitate the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is open for now, but “we are rapidly reaching the end of the road” to revive a pact that is being “hollowed out by Iran’s nuclear advances”, France’s ambassador to the United Nations said on Tuesday.

“We are nearing the point where Iran’s escalation of its nuclear programme will have completely hollowed out the JCPOA,” France’s Nicolas de Riviere told reporters.

He was referring to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — the formal name for the deal reached between Iran and the five permanent UN members plus Germany six years ago.

“The diplomatic door is firmly open for Iran to a deal now. Iran has to choose between the collapse of the JCPOA and a fair and comprehensive deal ... Iran’s continued nuclear escalation means that we are rapidly reaching the end of the road.”

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2021