Press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Iranian Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif
Istanbul … News Time
Iran has rejected US demands that it not reduce its nuclear program until economic sanctions are lifted. According to foreign news agency Reuters, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said there was no possibility of a reduction in Tehran’s nuclear program. During a press conference in Turkey with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Iranian Foreign Minister Jawad Zarif, he said that Washington’s demand was not met and could not be met. US President Joe Biden’s new administration has called on Tehran to limit its nuclear activities under the 2015 nuclear deal. Earlier this month, Iran resumed uranium enrichment at its nuclear plant by up to 20 percent.
It should be noted that on January 2, Iran had expressed its intention to enrich uranium to the UN nuclear watchdog. Official spokesman Ali Rabie told Iran’s state broadcaster’s website that 20 percent uranium enrichment had begun at the Shahid Alimohammadi Enrichment Complex (Fordo). However, Iran said it could end violations of the agreement as soon as possible if US sanctions were lifted. “If the United States fulfills its responsibilities, we will fulfill our responsibilities,” he said. Earlier, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken categorically rejected Iranian pressure on the United States. He told a news conference in Washington that Iran had not complied with many agreements. To which Jawad Zarif immediately responded on Twitter saying that Iran has complied with the 2015 nuclear deal and Tehran has only taken precautionary measures.
It should be noted that US President Donald Trump had announced his withdrawal from the nuclear deal with Iran in 2018, which was aimed at limiting Iran’s activities in the region and withdrawing from the missile program. On May 8, 2018, former US President Donald Trump declared Iran a dangerous country and announced his withdrawal from the nuclear deal signed by former President Barack Obama with world powers including China, Russia, Britain and Germany. On March 5, 2019, the UN nuclear watchdog said that Iran was abiding by the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and was committed to refraining from developing further weapons. In 2015, then-US President Barack Obama signed an agreement in Vienna between other world powers, including Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, on Iran’s nuclear program. Iran also signed an agreement stating that it would suspend all ballistic missile development programs and lift sanctions on Iran as an alternative to the agreement and provide billions of dollars in aid.
