A U.S. diplomatic spokesperson indicated that “maximum pressure was supposed to result in a better deal. It was supposed to cow Tehran and its proxies, it was supposed to isolate Iran from the rest of the world, and it was supposed to leave America’s interests in a better position. In fact, every single one of those, the opposite has been true”. The Biden approach, he indicated, “recognises that maximum pressure accompanied by the lack of diplomatic engagement got us to where we are. That is why we are embarking on a different path, one that prioritises real, principled, clear-eyed diplomacy with our partners and allies”, he added, while noting: “We are confident that this is the sort of position of strength that will allow us to achieve our strategic goal… to ensure that Iran cannot ever acquire a nuclear weapon”.