'All US sanctions have to be lifted,' says Khamenei on Iran's position on nuclear deal

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday reiterated that the United States must "lift all sanctions" if Washington wants Tehran's return to its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal. In a televised address, in his annual speech on the occasion of Nowruz marking Iranian New Year, Khamenei said that the US policy of maximum pressure against Iran has clearly failed and if the Joe Biden administration resort to a similar approach, "it will fail too". He warned the Biden administration to take steps to restore bilateral ties with the Islamic Republic, citing the former President Donald Trump's election defeat, adding that Iran will "stand strong with increasing power and dignity".

Khamenei vowed that the agreements of the JCPOA will "never be violated" and given that the US decides to lift the trade embargo, Iran will return to its denuclearisation commitments. Although, the supreme leader said, "We don't trust US’s mere promises; actions are needed."

Iran outlined conditions for the change in terms of the Iran nuclear deal, saying that the American officials believed that some of the JCPOA articles needed amendment as the situation when the nuclear deal was reached between the Obama administration and Iranian regime "have drastically altered". Khamenei asserted: "If a change is to be made, it should be to the benefit of Iran." Furthermore, he added, “Iran is no rush”. 

Further in his speech, Khamenei criticised the US for ending military support for the Saudi-led coalition in the years-long war against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis rebel. Citing Biden’s announcement, last month wherein the country shifted its diplomatic posture against "offensive operations" in war-torn Yemen, Khamenei stated that the US 'shamelessly' abandoned allies.

“Now, they can neither end the war nor continue it,” Khamenei said, adding that the Obama administration had “given green light” to Saudi Arabia to “ bombard the unarmed, defenseless people of Yemen making them surrender in a month”. He added, that 6 years into the armed conflict and the Houthis haven’t surrendered. 

US abandoned allies

Launching another scathing attack against the United States, Iran’s Supreme leader said: “Did you Americans know what a disaster you were creating for the Saudis? If you did know, how miserable your allies are to be treated in such a way?” referring to US close ally Saudi Arabia during the Trump era. “ How miserable they [Saudi] are that they trust you [US]”, Khamenei said. Biden had announced that he was ending the Saudi-led military offensive in conflict-ridden Yemen to put an end to the country’s civil wars. “This war has to end. And to underscore our commitment, we’re ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including arms sales,” the US President said in a press conference last month. 

(Image Credit: The Associated Press)