An unnamed official told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the sequencing of the U.S. return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and Iran’s return to compliance is not an issue. “That’s not the issue, who goes first,” the official said. “Like, we are going to go at 8, they are going to go at 10? Or they go at 8, we go at 10? That’s not the issue,” the official said. “The issue is do we agree on what steps are going to be taken mutually.” This is taken by Reuters as a suggestion of greater flexibility on the part of Washington.
The U.S. official sought to dispel what he said was an erroneous view that the United States insists on Iran’s full compliance before Washington would take any steps to resume its own commitments, the Reuters report continues. He also said it was not the U.S. stance that Tehran must take a first step to comply before Washington would take a step.