TEHRAN -- The Iran nuclear deal, still considered by many as the key to avoiding a further escalation of tensions in the Middle East and preventing a nuclear arms race in the Persian Gulf, hangs in the balance.
U.S. President Joe Biden's efforts to revive the 2015 deal, after former U.S. President Donald Trump decided to scrap it and impose sanctions on Iran three years later, have stalled. During Biden's two years in office, there have been multiple occasions when an agreement seemed within reach. But each time the talks were about to cross the finish line, new factors disrupted progress, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and strong opposition from Israel.