The US State Department announced on Thursday that Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley is on his way to the Middle East to hold consultations with US allies.

Nuclear negotiations with Iran are set to resume at the end of this month after a five-month suspension by Tehran.

The statement said Malley “will coordinate our approaches on a broad range of concerns with Iran, including its destabilizing activities in the region and the upcoming seventh round of talks on a mutual return to full compliance with the JCPOA.”

Iran has hardened its posture prior to the talks, insisting that its nuclear issue was resolved in 2015 and negotiations should be about lifting US sanctions imposed by former president Donald Trump in 2018.

In addition to Iran’s expanding uranium enrichment activities, regional countries have long been concerned about its interventions in countries such as Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and elsewhere. One of the demands by the Trump administration was that Tehran should stop its “malign behavior”.

The Biden Administration has put the priority in restoring the nuclear deal (JCPOA), saying that once Iran’s atomic program is restricted, other issues can be addressed.