SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday Iran’s “final and irreversible” decision was to return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal only if the United States lifts sanctions on the country.
“Iran has fulfilled all its obligations under the deal, not the United States and the three European countries … If they want Iran to return to its commitments, the United States must in practice … lift all sanctions,” state TV quoted Khamenei as saying in a meeting with Air Force commanders, according to Reuters.
“Then, after verifying whether all sanctions have been lifted correctly, we will return to full compliance … It is the irreversible and final decision and all Iranian officials have consensus over it,” he added.
The accord between Iran and six major powers limited Iran’s uranium enrichment activity to make it harder for Tehran to develop nuclear arms in return for the easing of U.S. and other sanctions.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, denouncing it as one-sided in Iran’s favor, and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy.
Iran retaliated by breaching the terms of the accord in a step-by-step response. Last month, it resumed enriching uranium to 20% at its underground Fordow nuclear plant – a level it achieved before the accord.
President Joe Biden has said that if Tehran returned to strict compliance with the pact, Washington would follow suit and use that as a springboard to a broader agreement that might restrict Iran’s missile development and regional activities.
Tehran has insisted that Washington ease sanctions before it resumes compliance, and ruled out negotiations on wider security issues.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed Iran on Friday in a virtual meeting with his British, French and German counterparts as the group weighed how to revive the deal.
“The more America procrastinates, the more it will lose … it will appear that Mr. Biden’s administration doesn’t want to rid itself of Trump’s failed legacy,” Zarif said in the interview.
“We don’t need to return to the negotiating table. It’s America that has to find the ticket to come to the table,” he added.
Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday urged Biden to act fast to return to the nuclear deal, pointing out that legislation passed by parliament forces the government to harden its nuclear stance if U.S. sanctions aren’t eased by February 21.
“Time is running out for the Americans, both because of the parliament bill and the election atmosphere that will follow the Iranian New Year,” Zarif said in an interview with Hamshahri newspaper published on Saturday
Iran’s new year begins on March 21.
The parliament, dominated by hardliners, passed the legislation in December that set a two-month deadline for an easing of sanctions.
