Iran’s Return to JCPOA Hinges on Removal of US Sanctions: President Rouhani
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – President of Iran Hassan Rouhani reminded the US administration that lifting the illegal sanctions will result in Tehran’s immediate return to the JCPOA commitments.
In a meeting with Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, held in Tehran on Monday, Rouhani highlighted the failure of the US’ policy of maximum pressure on Iran.
“The new US administration has no option but to make up for the previous administration’s mistakes and honor the legal commitments,” he added.
The president reiterated the need for the US government to comply with the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and lift the sanctions on Iran, noting, “Whenever the US terminates the illegal sanctions and returns to law, Iran will immediately return to all of its commitments under the JCPOA.”
Rouhani also pointed to the friendly ties between Tehran and Doha, and said, “Relations between the two countries have been very good and developing in recent years, and with the new international conditions, opportunities should be tapped to develop and deepen relations and cooperation.”
For his part, the Qatari Foreign Minister described Iran as a friendly country in the region and stressed the need to develop and deepen bilateral relations in all fields, especially the commercial and economic cooperation.
In another meeting earlier on Monday, the visiting Qatari minister held talks with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.
The top Iranian diplomat said in the gathering that the Islamic Republic opposes coercion and force in the region, emphasizing the necessity for cooperation among regional countries to settle issues and achieve a set of regional arrangements that brings about further stability.
In a post on his Twitter account on Monday night, Zarif pointed to his diplomatic meetings with foreign officials over the past week, including the Qatari foreign minister, the UN special envoy for Yemen, and the foreign minister of Iraq.
“Iran, Turkey & Russia deputies will meet Tuesday in Sochi to advance Astana process. Our region is our priority,” he added.
The Iranian administration says regional neighbors have priority in its foreign policy, and maintains that ensuring regional security requires cooperation among the regional states alone.