Iran cuts back on IAEA access to nuclear sites

It emerged this week that the Biden administration was already in talks with Iran – National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed that Blinken was in contact with Tehran about American hostages, with the Iranian foreign ministry confirming that contact had been via the Swiss embassy.

 Iran has been gradually breaching terms of a 2015 nuclear pact with world powers since the U.S. withdrew in 2018 under former President Donald Trump and reimposed sanctions. The pact aims to keep Iran at arm's length from being able to make nuclear weapons, which Tehran says it has never wanted to build. President Biden has said he is ready to talk about both nations returning to the accord, although the two sides have been at odds about who makes the first step, with Zarif saying the U.S. was addicted to sanctions.  "Biden claims that Trump’s maximum pressure policy was maximum failure ... but they have not changed that policy [toward Iran]," Zarif said. "The United States is addicted to pressure, sanctions and bullying ... it does not work with Iran." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday. Erdogan reportedly told the Iranian leader that a window of opportunity exists right now for American economic sanctions to be lifted from the Islamic republic.