President Joe Biden is making progress on negotiations with Iran to revive the nuclear deal previously shattered by former President Donald Trump.
“We are closer now than we were just a couple of weeks ago,” National Security Council communications coordinator John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday. “Gaps remain. We’re not there yet.”
The White House reviewed the proposed text of a deal from Iran and sent its own response back to Iranian officials, according to reports.
The Biden administration is also communicating with European Union leaders about the proposed deal.
President Biden spoke with leaders in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom on Sunday, the White House revealed.
European leaders are anxious to lift sanctions on Iran’s oil markets, at a time when Russia continues its war in Ukraine, spiking the cost of energy.
But Israeli leaders signaled their alarm about the renewed deal, arguing it was not strong enough.
Israel Prime Minister Yair Lapid publicly described the ongoing process as a “bad deal” and encouraged Biden to reject it.
He faulted American officials for only weakening their proposals to appeal to Iran.
“The countries of the West draw a red line, the Iranians ignore it, and the red line moves,” Lapid said at a press conference.
The Saudis are also concerned about a deal with Iran, threatening this week to cut production after Biden has pleaded with them to open up their markets further to drive down the cost of oil.
Republicans remain strongly opposed to the nuclear deal, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) arguing that it would only enrich Iran and give them the opportunity to fund terrorism.
“A year ago, Joe Biden gave Afghanistan to the Taliban. Now he intends to give a nuclear arsenal to Iran,” Cruz wrote in a statement. “The details of this deal are only now emerging, but we already know they will be catastrophic to the national security of America and our allies, and to the safety of Americans.”
Biden, however, is anxious to restore the legacy of former President Barack Obama, who viewed the deal with Iran as a critical moment in diplomacy in the Middle East.
“I found that I think we’re continuing to suffer from the very bad judgments that President Trump made in pulling out of the JCPOA,” Biden said after G20 meetings in October, urging European leaders to “stick with us” as the deal was negotiated.