Deal or no deal: High stakes as diplomats try to salvage Iran nuclear deal

The knife edge talks could provide the first major international crisis for the Biden administration, reports Kim Sengupta

Joe Biden potentially faces the first major international crisis of his presidency (AFP via Getty)

Iran’s deal with international powers on its nuclear programme is heading for its first major crisis since Joe Biden’s election, with Tehran set to block the UN from carrying out snap inspections of sites from next week. 

Iran has told the International Atomic Energy Agency ( IAEA) that it will stop the system of wide ranging checks from 23 February unless the new US administration starts lifting sanctions imposed by Donald Trump. 

President Biden has indicated that he wants to rejoin the JCPOA ( Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) which was abandoned by Trump, but has stipulated that Iran must reverse the steps it had taken recently in breach of the agreement.