A man walks past a mural painted on the outer walls of the former US embassy in the Iranian capital Tehran
Tehran, October 6 (RHC)-- Iran has called on the United States to effectively remove all 800 illegal sanctions imposed, re-imposed or re-labeled under former president Donald Trump, saying such a measure serves as a “ticket” for Washington to return to the negotiating table.
Speaking to France 24, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the Islamic Republic would definitely resume negotiations with the P4+1 group of countries — Britain, France, Russia, and China plus Germany — in the Austrian capital, Vienna.
However, he added, Tehran is still reviewing the details of the six rounds of Vienna talks held under the previous Iranian administration. The new Iranian administration is currently trying to “find out why the previous talks did not reach a satisfactory phase or a document that all sides will be happy with. All those questions have been written. We are trying to find out, also, the issues that [we need them] to be addressed properly in the upcoming talks,” Khatibzadeh said.
“The most important one is removing all sanctions imposed after President Trump unilaterally withdrew from Iran’s nuclear deal. You know that President Trump has added 800 new unilateral, illegal sanctions on Iran,” which must be removed, Khatibzadeh said. He also emphasized that Iran is looking for a way to ensure that sanctions are lifted “effectively.”
Asked whether the lifting of all U.S. sanctions was a precondition for Iran to return to the Vienna talks, the spokesman explained that such a demand is “no precondition. Iran and the P4+1 group of countries are members of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The United States would like to get back to [the negotiating] room, so it needs a ticket.”
The ticket is for the United States to be able to respond to a request by all of all P4+1 countries, including Iran, he said. The Iranian official said the U.S. is required to remove all the sanctions imposed, re-imposed or re-labeled by Trump and ensure that Washington will no longer violate the JCPOA.
