Zarif Says Time Running Out for US to Revive Nuclear Deal

The
United States should act quickly to revive Iran’s nuclear deal, because once
Iran’s presidential election period kicks off it is unlikely much will happen
until later this year, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said on Monday.
Speaking
at the European Policy Centre think tank, Zarif repeated Tehran’s longstanding
demand that Washington return first to compliance by lifting sanctions.
Former
US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal, known as the JCPOA, under which
Iran accepted curbs to its nuclear program in return for the lifting of
sanctions. Since then, Washington has reimposed sanctions and Tehran has
responded by violating some of the conditions of the deal.
President
Joe Biden aims to restore the deal, but Tehran and Washington each want the
other side to comply first.
“The Europeans are used to compromise. Iran and the
United States are not. The Americans are used to imposing, and we are used to
resisting,” Zarif said, Reuters reported.
“So now is the time to decide will we both compromise and
go back to the JCPOA, or will we go back to our own paths?”
Zarif
said that he had seen no change between the Biden administration and the Trump
administration’s policy of maximum pressure to force Iran back to the
negotiating table. He said he saw no reason to hold preliminary talks, because
the US was making “extraneous” demands.
“There is a time constraint and that is once we go to our
election it is a lame duck government and (it) will not be able to do anything
serious and then we will have a waiting period of almost six months,” he said,
referring to a presidential election due on June 18.
“It is advisable for the United States move fast and moving fast requires them not be shy, but takes measures that they need to take.”