Thread by @laurnorman

Just ran: Interview with @JosepBorrellF from Ukraine on the #Irandeal and its prospects. wsj.com/articles/eus-t… -1-

On a secure train returning from an EU trip to Kyiv, @JosepBorrellF told @WSJ that critics of his efforts to revive the pact perhaps “don’t value enough” dangers of nuclear Iran. “As far as I know, there is not an alternative to this deal to try to avoid Iran becoming nuclear"-2-

He says people mix up his role as coordinator for deal & EU role in condemning Iran actions. “Look, I can tell you my last conversation: Stop capital punishment. Stop repression…So if you continue on this way, you will make impossible to have any kind of political arrangement"-3

There's a clear warning from @JosepBorrellF that #Iran providing ballistic missiles to #Russia would be a "step too far," after which everything will become more difficult, including reviving the deal. -4-

“I have to say that every time I talk with the Iranians, they insist that they will not do it,” @JosepBorrellF said of #Iran selling missiles to #Russia. “But then I have to advise them, if you do that, everything will be much more difficult, including the JCPOA." -5-

And he's frank that in the current political environment, with Iran's crackdown at home, its Russia help and teh western reaction to this, he doesn't know if the E3 & US would agree to revive deal even if Iran dropped its extraneous demands on deal... (safeguards etc.) -6-

“Today, the political environment doesn’t help...I don’t know. I clearly don’t know and I don’t want to speculate," said @JosepBorrellF on prospects of Iran deal's revival. -7-

And kicker: 'Mr. Borrell refuses to pin the blame for the nuclear deal’s woes on Tehran or the Biden administration. But he offered a terse response when asked who was responsible for the agreement’s near-collapse. “Trump,” he said.' wsj.com/articles/eus-t… -8-