Removal of Sanctions Necessary for US to Rejoin JCPOA: Iranian Diplomat
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi said the US government must lift the sanctions on Tehran in a verifiable manner in order to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal.
In an interview with the official website of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, published on Friday, Araqchi said in order for Iran to resume its commitments under the JCPOA, the White House must lift the sanctions that the administration of ex-president Donald Trump placed on Iran, including those stipulated in the deal and the bans imposed on the country under new pretexts.
“The US must remove the sanctions in full, not in words or on paper, but in practice,” Araqchi told khamenei.ir. “We will verify that, and whenever we feel the sanctions are lifted in a proper manner, we will, for our part, return to our commitments” under the nuclear agreement.
He also noted that “the US’s return to the JCPOA matters to us only when that will lead to the removal of the sanctions,” adding, “This is a completely rational position. What we are currently doing… is a reaction to the measures the US has adopted.”
“The US wanting to rejoin deal without lifting the sanctions would be a non-starter,” he added, Press TV reported.
Commenting on the damages inflicted on Iran by Washington’s exit from the deal, the deputy minister said Trump’s policy of “maximum pressure” cost Iran a lot, but Islamic Republic “paid the price and defeated” that campaign.
“The issue of compensation related to the JCPOA will be a serious topic in future negotiations,” Araqchi added.
The official further highlighted Iran’s principled policy of neutralizing the sanctions, as defined by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, saying the Foreign Ministry is pursuing the removal of the bans, but the country’s economy should reach a point where it will be able to resist any pressure from abroad, including sanctions and international financial crises.
