New US Admin in No Position to Set Conditions for Removal of Sanctions: Iran’s FM

“America should live up to its commitments. America has no other option. America’s (sole) option is to return (to its commitments). Why? Because the people’s resistance has defeated the policy of maximum pressure,” Zarif said in an interview with Iran newspaper published on Wednesday.

If Biden “opts to fulfill commitments under Resolution 2231, we too can fully return to our commitments immediately. This process is not time-consuming at all. It can be done by several executive laws by the president of the United States,” the top diplomat further said.

 “If Biden becomes the US president and settles in the White House, he can lift all of them (sanctions) through three executive orders.”

Asked about Iran's stance if Biden makes the removal of sanctions conditional on certain measures by Iran, he replied, “The US is not in a position to set conditions. The United States is required to implement Resolution 2231 as a member of the United Nations and a permanent member of the Security Council.”

If the US honors the resolution, lifts the sanctions and stops hindering Iran’s economic activity, Iran has announced that it will fulfill its JCPOA obligations, Zarif added.

“This can be done automatically, and with no need for conditions or even negotiations. The United States carries out its duties under Resolution 2231 and we will carry out our commitments under the JCPOA,” the top Iranian diplomat added.

He also said, “(US President Donald) Trump’s policy of withdrawing from the JCPOA and his maximum pressure on Iran has failed…Currently, our uranium reserves are not comparable at all to those before Trump and our (nuclear) research and development (R&D) is more advanced than before the JCPOA. Of course, we took these measures under the JCPOA. They show that America has not only failed to achieve its goals, but has moved away from them. This is a negative point for them.”

The Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed in 2015 between Iran and six world states — namely the US, Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China — and was ratified in the form of Resolution 2231.

However, Trump unilaterally pulled his country out of the JCPOA in May 2018 and reinstated the anti-Iran sanctions that had been lifted by the deal.

The Trump administration also unleashed the so-called maximum pressure campaign and targeted the Iranian nation with the “toughest ever” restrictive measures.

As the remaining European parties failed to fulfill their end of the bargain and compensate for Washington’s absence, Iran moved in May 2019 to scale back its JCPOA commitments under Articles 26 and 36 of the accord covering Tehran’s legal rights.

tasnim