WASHINGTON — President Biden’s pledge to restore the Iran nuclear deal is facing a significant obstacle, as Tehran has demanded that the United States remove Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from its list of terrorist organizations, a move that the Biden administration has been loath to take..
The issue of the Revolutionary Guard, a powerful military force and key player in Iran’s economy, has emerged as the major sticking point in negotiations between the United States and Iran, which have been underway in Vienna since April..
The Trump administration designated the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization in 2019, in a move that was widely seen as an attempt to cripple Iran’s economy and further isolate the country. The Biden administration has said that it is willing to remove the designation if Iran takes steps to address the concerns that led to it in the first place, but Tehran has refused..
Iran has argued that the Revolutionary Guard is an integral part of its security apparatus and that designating it as a terrorist organization is an act of aggression. Tehran has also said that it will not take any steps to address the concerns of the United States until the designation is removed..
The impasse has raised concerns that the negotiations could collapse, and that the United States and Iran could find themselves back on the brink of war. The Biden administration has said that it is committed to diplomacy, but it has also warned that it will not hesitate to take military action if necessary..
The issue of the Revolutionary Guard is not the only obstacle to a nuclear deal, but it is the most significant. Other issues include Iran’s demand that the United States lift all sanctions that were imposed on the country after the Trump administration withdrew from the deal in 2018, and the United States’ demand that Iran agree to additional restrictions on its nuclear program..
The negotiations are expected to continue in the coming weeks, but it is unclear whether a breakthrough can be reached. If the negotiations fail, it could have a significant impact on the stability of the Middle East and could lead to a new escalation of tensions between the United States and Iran..
