Report: US discussing freeze-for-freeze approach on Iran

The Biden administration discussed with its European and Israeli partners in recent weeks a proposal for an interim agreement with Iran that would include some sanctions relief in exchange for Tehran freezing parts of its nuclear program, 10 Israeli officials, Western diplomats and US experts with knowledge of the proposal told Barak Ravid of Axios on Monday.

The new approach by the Biden administration shows just how concerned the US is about recent advances in Iran's nuclear program. The US has not ruled out diplomacy on reaching an agreement to return to the 2015 nuclear agreement but did take it off the agenda last year over Iran's military assistance to Russia and Tehran's crackdown on anti-government protests.

The Biden administration started discussing the new approach in January and briefed its Israeli and E3 — France, Germany and the UK — allies about it in February, according to the 10 sources.

The proposal discussed included some sanctions relief if Iran froze some of its nuclear activities, mainly halting enriching uranium at 60% purity, according to four of the Israeli officials, Western diplomats and US experts. READ MORE