Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh speaks during a press conference in Tehran on Feb 22, 2021. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)
TEHRAN/PARIS – Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday that the US administration should give up the pressure policy pursued by former US President Donald Trump.
Saeed Khatibzadeh said at his weekly press conference that the US administration should realize that it will not gain anything related to the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, known also as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), if it adheres to Trump's mentality.
The United States needs to change its approach and considers the realities on the ground, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said, adding that Trump's policy of maximum pressure has failed
The United States needs to change its approach and considers the realities on the ground, Khatibzadeh said, adding that Trump's policy of maximum pressure has failed.
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Asked about the pause in Vienna talks on the revival of JCPOA, Khatibzadeh said Iran was busy with the transition of administration and that new President Ebrahim Raisi will decide on the process of negotiations.
Anti-Iran sanctions should be lifted, Khatibzadeh said, adding that "Iran would not accept anything less than the JCPOA" which resulted in the removal of western sanctions on Iran in 2015.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Iran to resume talks on reviving the JCPOA, the Elysee presidential palace said in a statement issued shortly after a phone call between Macron and his Iranian counterpart.
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Trump withdrew from the 2015 agreement in May 2018 and unilaterally re-imposed old and new sanctions on Iran. In response, Iran has gradually stopped implementing parts of its commitments to the deal since May 2019.
After six rounds of talks in Vienna since April, the parties said serious differences remain between Iran and the United States for the revitalization of the deal. The sixth round of talks ended on June 20, with the talks currently on hiatus.
With Reuters inputs