- Iranians holding Ashura mourning for Imam Hussein
- Third step: Iran officially informs EU of plan to expand nuclear R&D
- Iran expands nuclear R&D program: Rouhani
- Iran goes ahead in space tech, despite US sanctions: ISA
- Resistance Front undermining Israeli regime power: Top commander
- Iran: 7 crew members of detained UK ship freed
- US addiction to sanction threaten its power: Iran’s Zarif
- Dutch role in 2007 Stuxnet attack on Iran’s nuclear site under scrutiny: Iraian FM Spox.
- Iran: ‘Sustainable Security 2019’ kicks off in Caspian Sea
- Iran’s Zarif leaves Tehran for Moscow
- Shiraz University ranked 1st in liver transplantation: Iranian health official
- Japan’s Abe to meet Iran’s president to discuss easing tension in region
- Downing of US spy drone shattered war threats against Iran: Top IRGC commander
- IAEO head reports development of first ion-therapy hospital in west of Asia
- Iranian Taekwondo team wins 2019 World Cup championship
- US sanctions failed to force Iran to buckle: Report
- Crew fixing Iran oil tanker broken down in Red Sea
- As Iranians hold nerves, US seeks to scare off trade
- Leader expresses concern about Kashmir, urges India to follow fair policy toward Muslim-majority region
- Iran saffron exports down due to smuggling, government restrictions: Exporter
- Iran FM warns US against ‘serious miscalculation’ in Persian Gulf
- Iran’s resistance policy led to release of oil tanker: MP
- Iran in reverse brain drain as top students come home in rising numbers
- Iran official calls for compensation for tanker seizure
- Iran hails N Korea for standing against ‘unilateral’ US demands
- Shia Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Ghadir
- North Korea praises Iran’s anti-US struggle
- Zarif says to meet French president Friday
- Iranian court hearing case of UK oil tanker
- Over half of Japanese voters oppose joining US-led anti-Iran coalition in Persian Gulf: Poll
- IME trade ups by 21 percent in July
- Finland backs INSTEX in defiance of US
- US anti-Iran policy in high seas harms Europeans: LA Times
- Iran, China confer on Syria
- Iran, Finland share views on Persian Gulf dialogue forum: Zarif
- Iran warns US against seizure of oil tanker
- Iraq eager to benefit from Iranian Police’s experience
- Iran planning 3rd step to reduce nuclear commitments: Spokesman
- Leader grants clemency to over 1,000 Iranian inmates
- Registration for Arbaeen Pilgrimage to begin in Iran on Friday
- Iran, Iraq agree to reopen Khosravi border crossing
- Iran deplores suicide attack at Kabul wedding hall
- Iran to hold int'l hand-woven carpets expo
- Zarif meets with Iran-Kuwait Friendship Group members
- Adrian Darya oil tanker not under any sanctions, says Iran envoy
- ‘Iran to stay in nuclear deal as long as its interests are met’
- India envoy happy with positive trend of trade with Iran
- Iran’s annual export of white meat tops 2.5m tons: Minister
- Iranian scientist discovers new state of matter
- Iran, Japan diplomats discuss bilateral ties
- Iran, Ansarullah, European representatives Yemen developments
- ‘Iran to become self-sufficient in producing aircraft engines'
- US issues seizure warrant for Iranian supertanker 'Grace 1'
- Neanderthal tooth unearthed near Iran’s Zagros mountain
- Iran’s Zarif due in Kuwait on Saturday
- US faces humiliating defeat after Gibraltar releases Iranian tanker: Envoy
- Spokesman rejects claim on Iran’s commitment in exchange for tanker release
- Zarif reacts to release of Iranian tanker in Gibraltar
- Israel, UAE engaged in secret talks on Iran arranged by US: Report
- US threatens visa ban as Iranian-operated tanker sets to sail from Gibraltar
- Enemies must factor Iran's global power in their calculations: IRGC's chief commander
- Trump’s administration conflicting messages to Iran baffle go-betweens: Report
- Gibraltar releases Iran-operated tanker despite US pressure
Tuesday, 02 March 2021 (YJC)_ Iran has reiterated that the US has to lift its inhuman sanctions on the Islamic Republic before the two sides could engage in any negotiations.
“Not only has Iran opened up the pathway towards diplomacy, it has also lip it up,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told a press briefing in Tehran on Monday.
He repeated a three-step pathway that Tehran has devised for Washington before the latter could find its way back to any negotiation featuring the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
The JCPOA came about in Vienna in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries -- the US, the UK, France, Russia, and China plus Germany.
The US, however, left the deal three years later under president Donald Trump and returned the draconian economic sanctions that the accord had lifted. Washington’s non-commitment and its European allies’ subsequent violations of the JCPOA prompted Iran to take a number of nuclear countermeasures.
Tehran has unequivocally asserted that it would only reverse its retaliatory steps in return for an effective lifting of the sanctions.
Referring to Trump successor Joe Biden’s administration, Khatibzadeh said, “The course that the US has to take should feature putting the wrong policies of the previous administration behind.”
He also regretted that to date, the Biden team has not effected any changes in his predecessor’s approach.
“We respond to measures with measures, and actions with actions. We respond to positive measures with positive measures, and will respond proportionately if we see a different behavior on the part of the US and Europe,” the spokesman noted.
‘Biden even did worse than Trump in some areas’
Khatibzadeh, meanwhile, said Biden has even did worse than Trump in certain areas for instance by trying recently to force a ratification of an anti-Iran resolution at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Board of Governors.
He advised that the parties in violation of the JCPOA seize upon the most recent opportunity that has been provided to them by Iran.
The Islamic Republic was supposed to indefinitely suspend the IAEA’s short-notice inspections of its nuclear energy facilities on February 23. It, however, agreed during a recent visit to Tehran by the IAEA chief Rafael Grossi to limit the suspension period to three months.
“It is a source of great regret that Biden and his administration have gotten off to a very hopeless start,” Khatibzadeh said.
“You cannot have the same inflexible behavior of the former administration and palm it off on a country in the name of diplomacy,” he added.
The official was apparently referring to Biden’s expression of willingness to return the US to the JCPOA without taking any step that would mirror the alleged expression of interest.
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