US Must Return to Pre-Trump Situation: Iranian Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The chief of staff of the Iranian president made it clear to the new US administration that lifting the sanctions on Tehran and getting conditions back to what existed before outgoing US President Donald Trump’s tenure would count for something.
Asked by Tasnim about any preconditions for talks with the next US administration within the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Mahmoud Vaezi said on Monday, “What we say is that whatever has happened under Trump’s administration must go back to the pre-Trump era. We are serious about it.”
The president’s chief of staff emphasized that all sanctions on the Iranian companies and individuals imposed during Trump’s term must be lifted.
He also dismissed any contact between Iran and the team of the US president-elect, stressing that the country’s official stances have already been declared by the president and the foreign minister.
Vaezi underlined that comments made by lawmakers about the 2015 nuclear deal would not amount to Tehran’s official stance.
Last week, Iran’s Parliament speaker said Tehran does not care whether or not the next US administration will rejoin the 2015 nuclear deal, but the critical issue is the practical lifting of sanctions under the JCPOA.
In remarks in November 2020, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei called on the Iranian officials to concentrate efforts on thwarting and overcoming the sanctions instead of seeking their removal, pointing to the unsuccessful outcome of years of negotiations for lifting the sanctions.
