Tehran, (Samajweekly) Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has said that while the country will continue discussing the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal with “dignity”, it will also work to counteract the US sanctions, as there is a lack of trust in “the other side”.
He made these comments during the closing ceremony of the 21st National Media Festival of Iran, which coincided with National Journalist’s Day on August 8, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement from the Iranian President’s office.
“We have never violated the (nuclear) agreement and never left the negotiating table. Today, although we have the upper hand in the negotiations to lift the sanctions and solid demands, we will never trust the other side as we have, on numerous occasions, seen them breaking their promises,” Raisi said.
Iran signed the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the removal of the sanctions on the country. The US, however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its sanctions on Tehran.
The talks on the JCPOA’s revival began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria. No breakthrough has been achieved after the latest round of talks in August 2022.
