Iran “Nuclear Agreement Negotiations Only Possible With US Withdrawal of Sanctions First”

Iran’s foreign minister replied, “The sanctions must be lifted before negotiations are possible” to the proposal for negotiations to restore the Iranian nuclear agreement (JCPOA, Comprehensive Joint Action Plan).

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Jarif said in an interview with Iran’s Press TV on the 21st (local time) that “the United States will not be able to return to the nuclear agreement until all sanctions are withdrawn.”

“If all parties fulfill their obligations under the nuclear agreement, the talks will be held,” said Zarif. “Biden insisted that Trump’s policy of maximum pressure was a failure, but did not change its policy toward Iran.”

“The United States is addicted to pressure, sanctions and harassment, but this did not work for Iran.”

The U.S. and Iran are in a tense battle over the restoration of the JCPOA, which was destroyed by the former administration of Donald Trump in 2018.

The two sides signed a JCPOA with the main content of lifting US sanctions against Iran instead of restricting Iran’s nuclear activities in 2015 while former US President Barack Obama was in office.

However, former President Trump declared the JCPOA as Obama’s diplomatic failure, unilaterally abolished the JCPOA, and restored most of the sanctions against Iran.

In response, Iran also reduced the scope of implementation of the provisions of the JCPOA from May 2019, and warned that it would refuse inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from the 23rd if the parties to the nuclear agreement do not fulfill their obligations by this day.

Until now, the IAEA has been inspecting nuclear facilities in Iran without restrictions on the basis of additional protocols under the nuclear agreement.

IAEA Secretary-General Rafael Grossie visited Iran on the same day to meet with Iranian Atomic Energy Commissioner Ali Akbar Salehi.

Iran’s IAEA Ambassador Kazem Garibadi said on Twitter that “Iran and the IAEA had a beneficial discussion based on mutual respect.”

However, Minister Zarif said, “From the 23rd, we will disconnect the IAEA’s surveillance cameras installed at the nuclear facility.”

However, Minister Zarif stressed, “Refusing the IAEA to inspect inspections does not mean withdrawal from the nuclear agreement.”

“This is not an ultimatum,” he added. “If the other party obeys our obligations, we will immediately obey our obligations.”

Earlier, on the 18th, the United States announced its intention to participate in negotiations to restore the Iranian nuclear agreement by holding a videoconference with foreign ministers of three European countries, including Britain, France, and Germany.

Afterwards, the European Union’s high-ranking foreign and security policy representative Josef Borel proposed an informal talk to restore the nuclear agreement, but Iran said it would respond after consultation with partners such as Russia and China.

[연합뉴스]

Copyrights ⓒ Yonhap News. Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited