US confers with allies on next step if Iran fails to resume nuclear talks

Biden’s Iran envoy Rob Malley told reporters on Monday that Iran has frozen talks since June after Ebrahim Raisi was elected president. Tehran says more time needed to prepare for talks. But meantime its uranium enrichment levels move ever closer to the 90pc grade for producing a nuclear weapon.

Malley said the diplomatic effort is “at a critical phase” and that the Iranians’ explanations for not returning to the Vienna talks “are wearing very thin.” Regarding his visits to Middle East and European capitals, he said: “We will use other tools to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.”