Iran’s Rouhani Invites Biden to Return to Nuclear Deal Commitments

Zarif: Neighbors should cooperate on common interests

In comments Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called on President-elect Joe Biden to return to fulfilling commitments under the P5+1 nuclear deal, saying Iran would continue its resistance to the US until they return to the deal.

There have been indications that Biden wants to return the US to the deal, though some other top Democrats suggested that the US intends to want to impose another tougher deal on Iran. It’s not clear that Iran is going to be interested in that.

Rouhani says he wants those nations sanctioning Iran to recognize their method has failed and try a new approach. That might include talks, but it’s key for the US to suggest that they really are looking for a break from the old strategy.

With the defeat of Trump, FM Javad Zarif is urging all of Iran’s neighbors to cooperate, saying they could come together on their common interests going forward. There is no word any of them has accepted this overture yet, but the election is still being processed by many, and nations will likely come through with reactions in the weeks to come.

Trump’s demand that the world reflect his own hostile stance on Iran clearly did fail, and the rest of the world will be looking for a new approach with or without the US. With Biden, the chances are that diplomacy is a realistic option.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.