Iran Calls on Biden To Lift Sanctions After US Says Open to Talks

The White House said there will be no sanctions relief before talks with Iran

On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif reiterated Iran’s stance on the nuclear deal following a US statement that said the Biden Administration would meet with Iran and other participants of the JCPOA if invited by the EU.

Zarif said that Iran would “immediately reverse” the actions it has taken to increase its civilian nuclear program if the US lifts sanctions to comply with the JCPOA. He called on the Biden administration to “unconditionally” lift all sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.

On Thursday, the State Department said the US would “accept an invitation from the European Union High Representative to attend a meeting of the P5+1 and Iran.” The High Representative is the foreign policy chief of the EU. Zarif had previously suggested that the High Representative could help coordinate the actions needed to be taken by the US and Iran to revive the JCPOA.

The P5+1 refers to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, the six countries that signed the JCPOA with Iran in 2015. Since the US withdrew from the deal in 2018, Iran refers to the remaining participants as the P4+1.

“Reminder: Because of US withdrawal from JCPOA, there is NO P5+1. It is now ONLY Iran and P4+1,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh wrote on Twitter in response to the US statement. He also called on the US to lift sanctions. “Gestures are fine. But to revive P5+1, US must Act: LIFT sanctions. We WILL respond.”

Also on Friday, the White House said the US has no plans to lift sanctions or take any other steps before holding talks with Iran.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.