Iran rejects Biden’s bid to comply with pre-conditioned nuclear deal, demands lifting sanctions first

Last updated on December 7th, 2020 at 11:17 am

Iran rejects Biden’s bid: Iran has rejected incoming Biden administration’s pre-conditioned nuclear deal and has said of complete compliance with the deal only after United States lifts all the sanctions imposed on it. Iran’s foreign minister also said that first step towards consensual talks is US to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal. 

Javed Zarif, Iran foreign minister, has laid out new parameters to embark on new relationship with Washington. He said that before US rejoins the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) and lifts the sanctions imposed on it by Trump administration, Tehran would need some kind of guarantee that it would leave the deal again like predecessor Donald Trump. Zarif also hinted at no clause of renegotiating the existing deal. It is to be noted that many clauses of the deal are set to expire in 2025. 

While speaking at the Roma Med 2020 Conference via video link, Zarif said, “The us must implement without preconditions its obligations under the JCPoA. It has to show its good faith, it has to establish its bona fides, then Iran will go back in full compliance with JCPoA.”

On Tuesday, the Iranian Parliament passed a controversial resolution that would require Iran to step up its Uranium enrichment procedures and also end the UN inspection programme by February next year if US fails to lift the sanctions imposed on Tehran. Zarif expressed the dislikes of government on this resolution but also said of government’s obligation to abide by all the passed legislatures who are converted to laws. He said that the passed resolution is “not irreversible” and would only dwindle if US lifts sanctions, thus allowing Iran to completely comply with the deal. 

The major roadblock in the whole arrangement is that Iran does not want to “re-negotiate” the duration and clause of the JCPoA which had already been negotiated to restricts of 10 years plus a few more. Zarif said in relation to missiles and talks on regional issues, the topics on which US wants to engage, talks will be held between Iran and its neighbours, but this would require US to withdraw its support from Saudi Arabia. 

In May 2018, President Donald Trump had exited from the 2015 nuclear deal, which was a result of negotiations with former president Barack Obama. After this his administration imposed sweeping sanctions on Iran targeting to cripple its oil and economic sectors. Since then Tehran has daringly exceeded the set limits of nuclear activities as per the deal. This has raised suspicions in the international communities of Iran going back to its old agenda of developing a nuclear bomb. The Iranian government however, argues that the purposes of increased uranium enrichment activities are for peaceful nuclear ambitions.