JAKARTA - Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said efforts to restore the 2015 Nuclear Deal depended on stopping the UN investigation into traces of uranium on unannounced sites.
The comments regarding the agreement, named the official Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), were conveyed by President Raisi in a speech Monday, marking a year of his leadership.
Iran is expected to respond in the coming days to its United States (US) response, regarding the 'final proposal' proposed by the European Union, to restore the deal. Meanwhile, indirect talks have been held since last year.
While some issues appear to have been resolved, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, is seeking explanation from Tehran regarding traces of man-made uranium found on sites not included in the reported nuclear facility.
"Without solving the protection issue, talking about a deal is meaningless," President Raisi said, using terminology from Iran's agreement with the IAEA as a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
"We insist on verification and steps to build trust during negotiations. We also emphasize the full resolution of the protection issue."
President Raisi stressed that Iran has no intention of producing nuclear weapons, which is the purpose of the 2015 Nuclear Deal, controlling the country's nuclear program, in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
"We have repeatedly stated that nuclear weapons have no place in our nuclear doctrine," he stressed.
Efforts to restore the 2015 Nuclear Deal, which was abandoned by the US under President Donald Trump in 2018, are in the final phase with Iran discussing the response to Uncle Sam's country.
There are a number of points sticking out, including the insistence of Iran for elite Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) troops to be removed from the US list of terrorist groups. Washington says Iran has canceled this request.
As part of the deal, the US will remove sanctions imposed on Iran by Donald Trump after the US withdrew from JPCOA.
President Raisi said US sanctions aimed at Iran's economy had " flatly fallen", state-owned news network PressTV reported.
"We don't recognize any boundaries for ourselves in this regard," he said.
Furthermore, President Raisi has also replied to claims that Iran has been impotent in recent years, as a result of US restrictions.
"Our level of interaction with regional countries has increased fivefold," he said.
"Our oil exports are in a state where we feel we have to do our best and continue to export oil and non-nyak commodities," said President Raisi.
Separately, Iran's state news agency Nour News, which is in line with the country's Supreme National Security Council, said Iran's review of US comments on the revived agreement would take at least until next Friday.
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