TEHRAN – While the United States and its European allies are still tight-lipped about the response Iran submitted a week ago to the European Union’s final proposal, the EU coordinator for the talks broke the silence Monday on the response and lauded it a “reasonable.”

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said he had submitted a proposal to Iran and asked Iran to provide an answer. And then Iran gave its “reasonable” response. 

“There was a proposal from me as coordinator of the negotiations saying 'this is the equilibrium we reached, I don't think we can improve it on one side or the other'... and there was a response from Iran that I considered reasonable,” Borrell said, according to Reuters. 

Borrell also appeared to be kept in the dark by the U.S. and the E3 – France, Germany, and the UK – about the U.S. response, as he expressed hope that the U.S. will positively respond soon. 

He added, “It was transmitted to the United States which has not yet responded formally... I hope the response will put an end to the negotiations.”

The EU’s chief diplomat hoped the United States would respond positively as early as this week to the proposal that aims to salvage the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Although a week has passed since Iran submitted its response, the U.S. is yet to make up its mind. And it seems to be coordinating things with the E3. On Sunday, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with the leaders of France, Germany, and the UK. “They discussed ongoing negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program,” according to a White House statement. 

Pundits believe that the ball is now in the U.S.’s court. Reza Nasri, an expert on international relations, has said that Biden now faces a choice between accepting a text that is deemed reasonable by its Western allies and following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Donald Trump, which would amount to rejecting reason and wisdom.

“The Biden administration should now either adhere to a text that even US Western allies deem ‘reasonable’; Or choose Trump's way and hence reject ‘reason’ and ‘collective wisdom’!” Nasri said on Twitter. 

He added, “The ball is in Biden's court.”

The reasonability of the Iranian response seems to be derived from Tehran’s logical demands and its huge flexibility. After submitting the response, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian made it clear that the salvation of the JCPOA hinged on flexibility on the part of the U.S.

“America knows very well how much flexibility we have shown, now it is the turn of the American side to be flexible. In the recent Vienna negotiations, the American side expressed its verbal flexibility on two issues. This should be in writing,” Amir Abdollahian said, adding that a third issue existed on which the U.S. should show flexibility. 

“If America shows flexibility, we will reach a point of agreement in the coming days,” he stated.

Iran has shown flexibility but it’s unlikely to give up its rights in the talks. On Sunday, Iranian President Ayatollah Seyed Ebrahim Raisi underlined that Iran will not neglect its rights in any negotiations. 

“We will not neglect the rights of the nation in any meeting and negotiations. The government will try to improve the country and resolve the problems with strength. We will not tie people's living to any external factor and will diligently pursue solving the problems of the country and people,” he said, addressing the 17th World Mosque Day meeting held on Sunday morning at the Organization of Islamic Culture and Communication.

Borrell said Monday that a meeting is likely to be held this week in Vienna on reviving the nuclear deal. But this meeting depends on the response of the U.S.  If the U.S. responds positively, the talks will probably enter a new stage. 

In his recent phone conversation with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi, Amir Abdollahian underscored Iran’s goodwill and seriousness about reaching a good and lasting agreement. He said after receiving Washington’s response, if Iran is assured that it will enjoy full economic benefits from the deal and that its red lines are respected, all parties will enter a new stage in Vienna, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.