Rubio: Europeans Must Make Important Decision on Trigger Mechanism Against Iran

The U.S. Secretary of State says Europeans "must make an important decision soon about restoring sanctions (the trigger mechanism) because Iran is clearly not adhering to the current agreement." The U.S. State Department spokesperson also stated that the "nature" of negotiations between Iran and the U.S. differs from some statements made in the media, emphasizing that negotiations do not take place in the media. Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, on Friday, April 29, after leaving Paris following discussions with his European counterparts, stated that European parties to the JCPOA must decide on implementing the "trigger mechanism," adding that the International Atomic Energy Agency has reiterated that "Iran is still close to nuclear weapons." Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the IAEA, said on April 27, while heading to Tehran, that "although Iran has the materials necessary to build not just one but several bombs, it does not yet have a nuclear weapon." The trigger mechanism refers to a process that leads to the immediate and automatic reinstatement of all UN sanctions against Iran, valid until the expiration of the JCPOA on October 18, 2025. Britain, France, and Germany, the three European countries in the JCPOA, had previously expressed readiness to initiate the process of restoring all international sanctions against Iran, citing Iran's non-compliance with the nuclear agreement and the expansion of its nuclear program. Meanwhile, after correspondence between the U.S. President and the Leader of the Islamic Republic, representatives from Iran and the U.S. held their first round of negotiations on April 22 in the capital of Oman, with a second round scheduled for Saturday, April 30, in the capital of Italy. "Media statements do not reflect the actual negotiation process with Iran," said Tommy Bruce, the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, in a press conference on Thursday, April 28, explaining the differing statements from U.S. officials regarding the negotiations. Bruce reiterated the position of Donald Trump that the U.S. red line is Iran's access to nuclear weapons, adding, "If we were to negotiate through media discussions or on television or elsewhere, there would be no need for a trip to Rome on Saturday." Both Iran and the U.S. have described the April 22 negotiations in Muscat as "constructive and positive," and Steve Vitkoff and Abbas Araghchi are set to host the second round of negotiations in Rome on Saturday, April 30. In the meantime, Steve Vitkoff, Trump's special representative for Middle Eastern affairs, has expressed differing positions on how to deal with Iran's nuclear program, ranging from recognizing Tehran's 3.67% uranium enrichment to complete dismantlement of the program. The U.S. State Department spokesperson, while referencing Iran's 60% enrichment, which questions the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, added, "What we need to know is what President Trump considers acceptable and what he does not." In his latest remarks on this matter on Thursday, Trump emphasized the continuation of negotiations and that there is no "rush" for military action against Iran, stating, "The only thing we say is that you cannot have nuclear weapons." Trump: "I think Iran wants to negotiate, and I am not in a hurry for military action against Tehran." The spokesperson further explained Trump's comments from last week, saying U.S. officials expect "quick responses" in these negotiations. "There will be no 'meeting for the sake of meeting.' We are not going to wait months or years." After the Muscat meeting, Trump stated, "Iran wants to deal with the U.S. but does not know how. They are playing us because they are used to negotiating with ignorant people in this country [the United States]." According to Bruce, based on Trump's request, in the Iran-U.S. negotiations, "a clear yes or no answer must be given, and the matter should be settled. This is what he expects as President. He had the same expectation in the business world and still has it now." Meanwhile, the Leader of the Islamic Republic stated that negotiations between Iran and the United States over Tehran's nuclear file "have been well executed in the initial steps," and the U.S. President has said he is not in a hurry for military action against Iran because he believes Iran has the chance to become a great country. Iran and six world powers reached the nuclear agreement known as the JCPOA in July 2015, and Trump, who has always been a critic of this agreement, announced the U.S. withdrawal from it in May 2018. Since then, Iran has deviated from its JCPOA commitments and accelerated its uranium enrichment, especially in the past year. Reports from the IAEA indicate that Iran's uranium reserves have reached a level sufficient to build six atomic bombs if enriched to 90%.