NOURNEWS- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian rejected the idea of a “temporary agreement” with the US on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, despite a recent deal between the two countries on prisoner swap and release of Tehran's assets frozen abroad.
The Iranian minister said on Monday there is no connection between a prisoner exchange agreement with Washington and the release of Tehran's assets frozen abroad "at the order of the US".
"The exchange of prisoners is a completely humanitarian issue and has nothing to do with unblocking our funds in foreign banks," the senior diplomat stressed
Amir-Abdollahian added the recent agreement reached between Tehran and Washington, mediated by a third country, covers two separate issues; one relating to the prisoners swap and the other about unfreezing Iranian assets illegally blocked overseas under the pretext of US sanctions.
The foreign minister reiterated Iran's full commitment to remove the unilateral US sanctions against through diplomacy and negotiations, but emphasized that Tehran will never settle for a temporary or limited agreement.
Amir Abdollahian stressed that the removal of Washington’s unilateral and unfair sanctions through diplomacy has always been on the agenda of the Iranian administration.
The "path of negotiations and indirect exchange of messages" between Iran and the US has been in progress for months but Tehran has never been after "an interim or a small agreement", he continued.
Iran has never strayed from the path of negotiations, the top diplomat pointed out.
Iran stresses it has not quit the negotiating table with the world powers, but will not put all its eggs in the negotiation basket and will not wait for the United States to return to its commitments under the 2015 agreement. Iranian officials stress Tehran has maintained its constructive approach towards a good, strong and lasting agreement on the revival of the accord and arriving at a deal requires the US pragmatic attitude.
Tehran says it will not be able to trust Washington as long as President Joe Biden continues the wrong policy of maximum pressure and sanctions practiced by Donald Trump against Iran. Iranian officials say the Biden administration has yet done nothing but hollow promises to lift sanctions against Tehran. They blast the US addiction to sanctions, and slammed the POTUS for continuing his predecessor's policy on Iran.
In quitting the agreement, Trump restored sanctions on Iran as part of what he called the “maximum pressure” campaign against the country. Those sanctions are being enforced to this day by the Biden administration, even though it has repeatedly acknowledged that the policy has been a mistake and a failure.
Iranian officials say the ball is in the US' court, and the Biden administration should assure Tehran that it will not repeat Trump's past mistakes.
Diplomats have also criticized Washington for raising excessive demands from Tehran during the nuclear talks, and blocking efforts to reach an agreement on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). They emphasized that the US should lift unilateral sanctions, and assure Iran that it will not repeat its past mistakes.
NOURNEWS