Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi says Tehran will never abandon its nuclear rights and expects the parties to a 2015 nuclear deal to take “practical” steps to fulfill their commitments under the agreement.
Addressing a news conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Raeisi reiterated Iran’s compliance with its commitments according to the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“Iran has never left the negotiating table and emphasizes that the US and European countries should return to their obligations (under the JCPOA),” he added.
He regretted that the US and its Western allies pinned their hope on last year’s riots in Iran and left the negotiating table, which was a miscalculation.
“If the Americans are ready to fulfill their commitments, the ground will be prepared for [achieving] progress in the interactions and reaching a good agreement,” Raeisi said.
Iran proved the peaceful nature of its nuclear program to the world by signing the JCPOA with six world powers. However, Washington’s exit in May 2018 and its subsequent re-imposition of sanctions against Tehran left the future of the deal in limbo.
