Blinken rules out agreeing with Iran on deal that fails to meet basic demands

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Friday that his country would not agree with Iran on a deal that fails to meet basic demands. 

Iran’s “latest response takes us backward,” Blinken told reporters at a joint news conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg following their meeting.

Blinken referred to Iran's official reply to the draft compromise, proposed by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, on reviving the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

“We are not about to agree to a deal that doesn't meet our bottom-line requirements,” he stated.

Blinken also ruled out approving the “extraneous demands that are not relevant to the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) itself” since the US is only willing to conclude a deal that “advances national security.”