- Iranian Ambassador to UN
TEHRAN (Kayhan Intl.) -- A top Iranian diplomat says Tehran would have to verify any step regarding the removal of U.S. sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
Iranian Ambassador to the UN Majid Takht Ravanchi made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Khamenei.ir, the official website of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
Takht Ravanchi said the United States has imposed three types of sanctions against Iran.
"If even one of them is not lifted, the U.S. return” to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which former president Donald Trump left in 2018 would be pointless, he said.
President Joe Biden has indicated his government’s willingness to return to the agreement, but Washington has been dragging its feet on taking any meaningful measure to undo the former U.S. government’s wrongs.
Takht Ravanchi said, "Simply saying that ‘I am ready to return to the JCPOA or that I have returned’ but sanctions are not lifted in action, it will be worthless.”
"We cannot simply settle for the signature of a letter. If the signature is not coupled with a process for verifying the actions, it would be pointless,” the Iranian diplomat said.
For example, "if it is announced that Iran oil sanctions are lifted, it should be coupled with guarantees, so that there will be no problem to sell oil and buyers will be able to easily transfer money to Iran through the international banking system,” Takht Ravanchi added.
The Iranian ambassador to the UN touched on Iran’s experience with the Europeans who "told us to wait, and that they would compensate. But they even failed to deliver on their own obligations”.
When Trump abandoned the JCPOA, the Islamic Republic cooled its heels as the Europeans tinkered with a special trade channel for an entire year to purportedly blunt the former U.S. government’s efforts to pile economic pressure on Iran.
When the channel finally became operational, it proved a dud as it did not carry out any of the tasks which the Europeans had promised Iran it would.
Takht Ravanchi’s remarks echo the announcement early this month by Ayatollah Khamenei who said Iran’s "final and irreversible” decision is to return to compliance with the nuclear deal only if Washington lifts sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
"If they want Iran to return to its commitments, they must completely lift all sanctions in practice, and not just in words or on paper,” the Leader said in a televised speech.
"Then we will verify and see if they have been properly lifted, and then return,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
"This is the definitive and irreversible policy of the Islamic Republic, and all of the country’s officials are unanimous on this, and no one will deviate from it.”
U.S. to ‘Dissuade’ Arms Trade With Iran
The U.S. said Friday it will continue to discourage countries from supplying arms to Iran on the same day Washington claimed to have retracted a botched decision by the former Trump administration to reimpose a UN arms embargo on Tehran.
Last year, former secretary of state Mike Pompeo said the U.S. had unilaterally reimposed a UN arms embargo on Iran after it expired in October, but 13 countries on the 15-member Security Council opposed it, arguing that the move was void.
The Biden administration said Thursday it had rescinded Trump’s claim to have restored UN sanctions on Iran, prompting Iranians to deride the move as a hollow gesture and urge the U.S. to "effectively” lift sanctions.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki, however, said "there is no plan to take additional steps” before talks with Tehran about returning to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Meanwhile, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said, "Regardless of the UN’s Iran sanctions architecture, we will continue to use our authorities to dissuade countries from providing arms to Iran.”
"So there is certainly no change in our posture there at all,” he said on Friday.
Iranian officials have already stated that the Biden administration has retained his predecessor’s "maximum pressure” policy against the Islamic Republic despite his overtures of being ready for "diplomatic conversation” with Tehran.
Biden told the Munich Security Conference Friday that Washington was "prepared to reengage in negotiations” on Iran’s nuclear program.
His remarks came a day after the U.S. announced a few piecemeal steps and announced willingness to meet with Iran to discuss a "diplomatic way forward.”
Besides announcing the former government’s so-called snapback of UN sanctions as "terminated, the U.S. lifted travel restrictions on Iranian envoys accredited to the United Nations.
"The steps we took were intended to remove unnecessary obstacles to diplomacy,” Price said.
Iran sniffed at the "gestures”, with Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif urging the U.S. to "unconditionally and effectively lift all sanctions imposed, re-imposed or re-labeled by Trump”.
Takht Ravanchi said the United States has imposed three types of sanctions against Iran.
"If even one of them is not lifted, the U.S. return” to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) which former president Donald Trump left in 2018 would be pointless, he said.
President Joe Biden has indicated his government’s willingness to return to the agreement, but Washington has been dragging its feet on taking any meaningful measure to undo the former U.S. government’s wrongs.
Takht Ravanchi said, "Simply saying that ‘I am ready to return to the JCPOA or that I have returned’ but sanctions are not lifted in action, it will be worthless.”
"We cannot simply settle for the signature of a letter. If the signature is not coupled with a process for verifying the actions, it would be pointless,” the Iranian diplomat said.
For example, "if it is announced that Iran oil sanctions are lifted, it should be coupled with guarantees, so that there will be no problem to sell oil and buyers will be able to easily transfer money to Iran through the international banking system,” Takht Ravanchi added.
The Iranian ambassador to the UN touched on Iran’s experience with the Europeans who "told us to wait, and that they would compensate. But they even failed to deliver on their own obligations”.
When Trump abandoned the JCPOA, the Islamic Republic cooled its heels as the Europeans tinkered with a special trade channel for an entire year to purportedly blunt the former U.S. government’s efforts to pile economic pressure on Iran.
When the channel finally became operational, it proved a dud as it did not carry out any of the tasks which the Europeans had promised Iran it would.
Takht Ravanchi’s remarks echo the announcement early this month by Ayatollah Khamenei who said Iran’s "final and irreversible” decision is to return to compliance with the nuclear deal only if Washington lifts sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
"If they want Iran to return to its commitments, they must completely lift all sanctions in practice, and not just in words or on paper,” the Leader said in a televised speech.
"Then we will verify and see if they have been properly lifted, and then return,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.
"This is the definitive and irreversible policy of the Islamic Republic, and all of the country’s officials are unanimous on this, and no one will deviate from it.”
U.S. to ‘Dissuade’ Arms Trade With Iran
The U.S. said Friday it will continue to discourage countries from supplying arms to Iran on the same day Washington claimed to have retracted a botched decision by the former Trump administration to reimpose a UN arms embargo on Tehran.
Last year, former secretary of state Mike Pompeo said the U.S. had unilaterally reimposed a UN arms embargo on Iran after it expired in October, but 13 countries on the 15-member Security Council opposed it, arguing that the move was void.
The Biden administration said Thursday it had rescinded Trump’s claim to have restored UN sanctions on Iran, prompting Iranians to deride the move as a hollow gesture and urge the U.S. to "effectively” lift sanctions.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki, however, said "there is no plan to take additional steps” before talks with Tehran about returning to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Meanwhile, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said, "Regardless of the UN’s Iran sanctions architecture, we will continue to use our authorities to dissuade countries from providing arms to Iran.”
"So there is certainly no change in our posture there at all,” he said on Friday.
Iranian officials have already stated that the Biden administration has retained his predecessor’s "maximum pressure” policy against the Islamic Republic despite his overtures of being ready for "diplomatic conversation” with Tehran.
Biden told the Munich Security Conference Friday that Washington was "prepared to reengage in negotiations” on Iran’s nuclear program.
His remarks came a day after the U.S. announced a few piecemeal steps and announced willingness to meet with Iran to discuss a "diplomatic way forward.”
Besides announcing the former government’s so-called snapback of UN sanctions as "terminated, the U.S. lifted travel restrictions on Iranian envoys accredited to the United Nations.
"The steps we took were intended to remove unnecessary obstacles to diplomacy,” Price said.
Iran sniffed at the "gestures”, with Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif urging the U.S. to "unconditionally and effectively lift all sanctions imposed, re-imposed or re-labeled by Trump”.
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