Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has been outspoken in recent months about his desire for Iran to return to the 2015 nuclear deal in exchange for relief from US sanctions. On Thursday, Rouhani said he expects the incoming Biden administration to lift those sanctions.
“I have no doubt that the three-year resistance of the Iranian nation will force the future US administration to succumb to the people and return to their commitments and break the sanctions,” Rouhani said. Joe Biden’s stated position is that he plans to work with Iran to return to the deal, known as the JCPOA.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei essentially gave Rouhani’s administration the green light to pursue talks with the US if it results in sanctions relief. “If the sanctions can be lifted, we should not hesitate for even an hour,” he said.
Rouhani has made it clear that Iran can quickly come into compliance with the JCPOA if other signatories uphold their end of the agreement. Iran violated some of its commitments under the JCPOA in response to the Trump administration’s unilateral withdrawal from the deal, but the violations are easily reversible.
Rouhani thinks he won???
Well whatever. General Surena, er, General Soleimani, isn’t around to have to see this.