Iran’s new ultraconservative President has voiced his support for Iran’s plans to revive a nuclear accord even as he berated the United States, hailing what he described as its failures.
Speaking on Tuesday, President Ebrahim Raisi who is a hardline cleric who succeeded a government that sought better relations with the West, called on the United States to fulfill its promises to end sanctions under the 2015 nuclear accord.
‘The Islamic Republic considers useful talks whose ultimate outcome is the lifting of all oppressive sanctions,’ Raisi said in a recorded speech to the UN General Assembly.
Africa Today News, New York understands that indirect talks brokered by the European Union have been on hiatus since June after months of negotiations with the previous government failed to secure a path forward.
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Raisi repeated the clerical state’s stance that nuclear weapons are religiously prohibited, a position that has been met with skepticism notably by Israel, which has carried out a sabotage campaign to delay Iran’s nuclear work.
Nuclear weapons ‘have no place in our defence doctrine and deterrence policy,’ Raisi emphasised.
President Biden, appearing in person in his own maiden UN speech, renewed his willingness to return the United States to the nuclear accord and lift sanctions.
‘We’re prepared to return to full compliance if Iran does the same,‘ Biden said.
Iran has taken steps away from the accord to protest the sanctions and has insisted on a full lifting of economic pressure — while the Biden administration says only measures imposed by Trump over the nuclear program are on the table.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK