Tehran:
Iran is prepared to return to complete compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal with important powers as quickly as the other parties honour their commitments, President Hassan Rouhani stated Wednesday.
The agreement involving Iran and important powers has teetered on the brink of collapse given that outgoing US President Donald Trump pulled out of it in 2018 and reimposed crippling unilateral sanctions.
US President-elect Joe Biden has expressed readiness to return to the agreement but more than the previous 18 months Iran has suspended the implementation of some of its personal obligations, such as important limits to its uranium enrichment programme.
“Just as soon as the 5+1 or 4+1 resume all of their commitments, we will resume all of ours,” Rouhani stated.
He was referring to the 5 veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany with whom Iran reached the nuclear deal.
“I’ve said it before — it doesn’t take time, it’s just a question of willing,” he stated in comments to his cabinet aired by state tv
Defying criticism from Iran’s ultra-conservatives, Rouhani reiterated his determination to seize the “opportunity” presented by the transform of US president in January.
Parliament, which has been controlled by conservatives given that a February election marred by record low turnout, passed a bill final week that threatens the prospects for a thaw in relations with Washington.
The bill, which nonetheless has to be signed into law by Rouhani, would relaunch Iran’s enrichment of uranium to 20 per cent purity and threaten other future measures that would most likely sound the death knell of the nuclear deal.
In a blow to the president, the Guardian Council, which arbitrates disputes involving parliament and the government, authorized the bill final week.
But in his comments on Wednesday, Rouhani appeared to recommend that he would withhold his signature from the bill.
“It is vital that we speak with a single voice,” the president told ministers.
“People voted for a platform… and they want four years of action,” stated Rouhani, who won re-election in 2017 with additional than 57 per cent of the vote.
Rouhani stated Iran remained unable to acquire Covid-19 vaccines since banks had been unwilling to course of action the transaction for worry of falling foul of US sanctions.
Iran is the Middle Eastern nation hardest-hit by the coronavirus pandemic with additional than 51,000 deaths from practically 1.1 million instances, according to official figures.
Vaccines and other humanitarian goods are supposed to be exempt from the US sanctions but in practice handful of if any banks are prepared to take the opportunity.
“We want to buy the vaccine… the money is… ready but no bank will handle the transaction,” Rouhani told ministers.
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