In an interview with KHAMENEI.IR, Abbas Araghchi said, “As for the US return to the JCPOA, the important thing for Iran are the commitments these countries have taken within the framework of the JCPOA which specifically requires them to lift the sanctions.”
“The JCPOA is based on two pillars; one is the basis of Iran's nuclear actions, which take place over a period of time, and the other is the sanctions against Iran that the other side must remove,” he added.
“Naturally, if either of these two pillars does not exist, the JCPOA loses its relevance,” he noted, adding, “Therefore, the return of the US to the JCPOA is important to the country when it leads to lifting sanctions.”
Araghchi highlighted, “When we say the lifting of sanctions, we mean all the sanctions that were envisaged in the JCPOA and were reimposed after the withdrawal of the US from the JCPOA, as well as the sanctions that have been newly imposed and its title has been changed.”
“This position is quite logical,” he stressed, adding, “What we are doing now to reduce our commitments is a reaction to what the US has done.”
“Therefore, if the US wants to return to the nuclear deal and the JCPOA regains its original form, it is natural that they should return and lift sanctions,” the deputy FM said.
“As Leader of the Islamic Revolution said, if they want Iran to return to its commitments, they should first revoke all the sanctions and then we will do verification and if the measure was valid, we then will return to our commitments,” Araghchi noted.
He went on to say, “If the US wants to return to the JCPOA without lifting sanctions, it does not matter to us at all. If sanctions are not lifted, the JCPOA will be of no value for the country whether the US to return or not.”
“Naturally, if the US wants to be a member of the JCPOA again, it must meet all its obligations. If it is going to return and not fulfill its obligations, in our opinion, the US has basically not returned and its membership has not been fulfilled,” he added.
“For verification, the effect of lifting sanctions must be seen in practice. According to the JCPOA, they are obliged to lift their own sanctions, now some of the sanctions should be lifted and some should be stopped due to its technical features,” the diplomat said, adding, “What matters to us are the impacts of the lifting of sanctions, not necessarily the lifting of sanctions.”
He highlighted, “It is important that our oil to be sold and that the problems related to transportation, insurance and all its side issues be solved. In fact, our oil reaches the buyer and we can receive the money of the sold oil through the banks.”
“It is a fact that Americans are addicted to sanctions; That is, sanctions have become their main tool in global relations. They impose sanctions not only against Iran but also against everyone,” Araghchi noted.
“The issue of damages related to the JCPOA will be a serious issue in future negotiations. The JCPOA Joint Commission will review the issues raised, and we will certainly pursue these two issues of damages and the US misuse of the Snapback mechanism,” the deputy FM stressed.
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