Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Iran is in no hurry to see the US return to a 2015 nuclear deal with major powers after Joe Biden takes office this month, its supreme leader said Friday.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said it was not a question of “ whether the United States returns or not” , it was a matter of it lifting its unilateral sanctions .
“ We are in no rush and we are not insisting on their return . Our demand , which is both logical and rational, is the lifting of sanctions ” that outgoing US President Donald Trump reimposed after quitting the deal in 2018.
“ We are talking about a right which has been stolen from the Iranian nation , ” Khamenei said in a televised speech .
“ If the sanctions are lifted , the return of the Americans makes sense . ”
Since 2019, Iran has gradually suspended implementation of most of its key obligations under the nuclear deal , which set strict limits on its activities in return for the lifting of sanctions .
Other parties to the agreement , notably Britain , France and Germany, have pressed Iran to return to its commitments in a bid to rescue the deal , but Iran has repeatedly demanded that the United States first lift its crippling sanctions .
“ When the other party meets practically none of its obligations, it is not logical for the Islamic republic to honour all of its commitments , ” Khamenei said .
“ If they return to their commitments , we will return to ours. ”
( AFP)
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