Iran Has Overplayed Its Hand in Nuclear Talks

Tehran’s refusal to cooperate with international monitors has diminished its negotiating power. The Biden administration shouldn’t squander the moment.

In its initial blunder, the regime in Tehran refused to give the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, satisfactory explanations for traces of uranium found in sites that Iran had failed to declare to the agency’s monitors. This made it inevitable that the agency’s 35-member board of governors would vote to censure Iran.

It was, in diplomatic terms, a stinging rebuke of Iran’s recalcitrance. But far from being chastened, Iran has chosen to paint itself further into a corner by reducing its cooperation with the international community. On Thursday, the nuclear watchdog said Iran had begun removing IAEA surveillance cameras from nuclear sites across the country.