TEHRAN -- Iran on Monday said it is possible to salvage an agreement on reviving its nuclear agreement if Western parties, particularly the U.S., put an end to repeated delays.
An agreement “is possible both in term of the technical and political aspects”, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said.
“The other sides, especially the U.S., have procrastinated” on reviving the deal, he said, expressing hope that they would show “political determination” for a committed return to its implementation.
Exactly five years ago, then U.S. president Donald Trump unilaterally pulled out of the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to walk back on its commitments.
Kanaani on Monday said Iran’s policy “is not to allow issues related to Iran’s peaceful nuclear activity to become an obstacle in the process of Iran’s cooperation” with the UN nuclear watchdog.
In March, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi visited Tehran.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is moving on the roadmap within the framework of the visit to Iran by Mr. Grossi ... and in this regard, practical and operational actions have been introduced and we are moving forward,” Kanaani added.
During Grossi’s March visit to Iran, the IAEA and Tehran said in a joint statement that “Iran, on a voluntary basis, will allow the agency to implement further appropriate verification and monitoring activities.”
The senior diplomat also touched on U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan’s recent comments on Iran.
Speaking at the Washington Institute, Sullivan said the U.S. would do whatever was necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a “nuclear weapon.”
Kanaani said Sullivan’s remarks are not compatible with the IAEA’s 15 reports which confirmed Iran’s adherence to its commitments.
“The United States must follow up on the activities of the Zionist regime and the poisoning resulting from its subversive acts. Our activities have always been peaceful and we do not accept baseless claims,” he asserted.
“Iran will not tolerate any aggression and will deliver a decisive and regret-inducing response.”