US says it is unclear if Iran is 'ready and willing' to take steps to rejoin nuclear deal
US Secretary of State on May 23 said that it still remains unclear if Iran is “ready and willing” to take the required measures to rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal.
- World News
- 2 min read
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The United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on May 23 said that it still remains unclear if Iran is “ready and willing” to take the required measures to rejoin to compliance with the multination nuclear deal, more popularly known as Iran Nuclear Deal. While speaking ahead of the fifth round of talks in Vienna on rescuing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Blinken was reportedly asked about the Iranian reports that the United States has already agreed to lift crippling sanctions from the Islamic Republic. In an interview with ABC, when asked about Iran, Blinken simply said, “we don’t know.”
Blinken said, "We know what sanctions would need to be lifted if they're inconsistent with the nuclear agreement,” before adding that, “Iran, I think, knows what it needs to do to come back into compliance on the nuclear side, and what we haven't yet seen is whether Iran is ready and willing to make a decision.”
"That's the test and we don't yet have an answer,” he added.
Former US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in2017 and slapped heavy sanctions on Iran after saying that Tehran violated the deal’s “spirit” and continues to be a regional threat. Now, Trump’s successor, US President Joe Biden is willing to revive the plan with Blinken working with other signatories to reach a common ground in negotiations with Iran. While Tehran wants Washington to first agree to lift sanctions imposed by Trump, the US wants Iran to first comply with the terms of the deal.
Iran's President Says 'main Deal Has Been Reached'
Earlier, on May 20, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani claimed that the US has agreed to lift major sanctions on his country’s oil, banking and shipping sectors that were imposed after former US President Donald Trump exited a 2015 nuclear deal three years ago. While speaking during a televised cabinet meeting, Rouhani said that negotiators in Vienna, where Iran and the US have engaged in indirect talks to restore the nuclear deal, have taken a “major step”. He added that diplomats are still discussing “details and finer points” before there is a “final agreement”.
“The talks in Vienna are about minor issues. They have accepted to lift sanctions on Iran's oil and shipping sectors as well as sanctions on the Central Bank and others. The main deal has been reached," Hassan Rouhani said.