Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a recent interview with the state-funded Iran Newspaper that with Joe Biden in the Oval Office, a removal of sanctions against Tehran would take the new US president “only three executive orders.” Those sanctions were reimposed by President Donald Trump after his 2018 departure from the Iran nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The Iranian top diplomat added that in such case, Iran will return to full compliance with its deal obligations. In May 2019, Iran started a phased breach of its commitments in response to the US withdrawal and European signatories’ failure to live up to their economic promises under the accord.
According to Zarif, there is no need for “preconditions or negotiations” for the two sides to take those steps. “America’s option is a return to the accord and honoring its obligations under [UN] Resolution 2231. We will carry out our JCPOA obligations, too.”
The remarks contrasted with previous statements by President Hassan Rouhani, who has demanded that the United States pay compensation for economic damages to the Islamic Republic. Last week, however, the moderate president declared that “no one has the right to waste opportunities,” implying his government is ready for potential talks with a Biden administration.
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