Report: Biden Privately Admitted Iran Nuclear Deal Is “Dead” Last Month

President Joe Biden acknowledged early last month that the possibility of reentering the Iranian nuclear agreement is “dead” but admitted that his administration wouldn’t announce it.

The president made the acknowledgment on the sidelines of a Nov. 4 election rally in Oceanside, California, though it wasn’t reported until Tuesday, via an Axios report. Biden, in a recorded interaction with a rally attendee, acknowledged that any possibility of a deal “is dead, but we are not gonna announce it, long story,” when asked if he’d say so publicly.

RUSSIA AND IRAN DEVELOPING ‘FULL-FLEDGED DEFENSE PARTNERSHIP,’ WHITE HOUSE SAYS

National Security Council coordinator John Kirby cited Tehran’s recent crackdown on protesters and its military assistance for Russia in the war in Ukraine, as reasons the deal is now off the table.

“The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is just not our focus right now. And it’s not on our agenda. We simply don’t see a deal coming together anytime soon while Iran continues to kill its own citizens and selling UAVs to Russia,” he told reporters. “There is no progress happening with respect to the Iran deal now. We don’t anticipate any progress anytime in the near future. That’s just not our focus.”

In October, U.S. Envoy for Iran Rob Malley said the administration wouldn’t “waste time” in negotiating with Tehran, among other U.S. officials who shared similar sentiments.

“I think it is very clear, the Iranians have made very clear that this is not a deal that they have been prepared to make,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Oct. 12. “A deal certainly does not appear imminent. Iran’s demands are unrealistic. They go well beyond the scope of the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]. Nothing we’ve heard in recent weeks suggests they have changed their position.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Kirby warned earlier this month about the growing relationship between Tehran and Moscow in recent months.

Iran has provided Russia with “several hundred UAVs to Russia,” he said. “In exchange, Russia is offering Iran an unprecedented level of military and technical support that is transforming their relationship into a full-fledged defense partnership. So I think it’s important for us to be clear, this partnership poses a threat not just to Ukraine, but to Iran’s neighbors in the region.” He also described Iran as Russia’s “top military backer” at the time.