TEHRAN, Iran (AP) – Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday called on the United States to lift all sanctions if it wants Iran to meet its obligations under its nuclear deal with the world powers, state TV reported and made its first comments on it since the US President Joe Biden.
“If (the US) wants Iran to return to its obligations, it must lift all sanctions in practice, then we will do verification … then we will return to our obligations,” state TV quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying.
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Former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US in 2018 from the nuclear deal, which saw Iran agree to limit its uranium enrichment in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. Biden said he would try to revive the agreement, but insisted that Iran first reverse its core steps and create a will match between the nations.
In this photo, released by the official website of the office of the Iranian commander-in-chief, Commander-in-Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with the army’s air force and air defense personnel in Tehran, Iran, on Sunday, February 7, 2021. AP)
“This is the definitive and irreversible policy of the Islamic Republic, and all the country’s officials are unanimous on this, and no one will deviate from it,” Khamenei added on Sunday, reiterating Iranian leaders’ previous remarks that the US should ease its sanctions. before Iran reconciles.
The supreme leader, 81, has the final say on all state affairs in Iran and has approved the efforts to reach the 2015 nuclear deal.
In response to Trump’s so-called “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, the country gradually began to violate its nuclear commitments and threatened further provocations in an attempt to increase its leverage and make Biden prioritize returning to the agreement while Trump’s legacy is falling apart. Biden has signed a series of executive actions that address a wide range of issues, including climate change and immigration.
Following the assassination of an Iranian scientist in December last year, the Iranian parliament approved a law later this month to block international nuclear inspectors – a serious breach of the agreement.
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Iran has also begun enriching uranium closer to weapons grade levels, saying it will experiment with uranium metals, a key component of a nuclear warhead. The country announced its steps and insisted that all violations of the treaty be easily reversible. Tehran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.