Iran wants US and Europe to lift sanctions to ease tensions

Iran is seeking to ease tensions in its relations with the United States and European countries, and hopes the parties will lift sanctions and restore the nuclear deal, Iran's new Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

"In my speech to the Iranian parliament , I stressed that it is important to lift sanctions, especially unilateral sanctions, through serious, focused and time-bound negotiations, while respecting the country's fundamental principles," Iran's new foreign minister said in an interview with Japan's Kyodo news agency on August 22.

This is the first time the Iranian Foreign Minister has spoken to a foreign news agency since he was officially appointed to the position after his nomination was approved by the Iranian Parliament on August 21.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was part of the nuclear negotiating delegation and is a supporter of the JCPOA, an agreement he hopes to restore during his tenure. Photo: Azer News

Iran's top diplomat said the Iranian Foreign Ministry under his leadership would seek to ease tensions with Washington and mend ties with European countries, but only if they abandon their "hostile approach" to Tehran and seek to extend the multilateral nuclear deal and lift sanctions.

Mr. Araghchi was Iran's Ambassador to Japan from 2008 to 2011. In the interview, he also stated that he wanted to build relations between Tehran and Tokyo.

Mr. Araghchi was also part of the nuclear negotiating delegation and is a supporter of the JCPOA, an agreement he hopes to restore during his time in office.

The Iran nuclear deal, fully known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed in July 2015 between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (P5), including China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, along with Germany and the European Union (EU).

It was a landmark accord that set out rules to monitor Iran’s nuclear program and paved the way for the lifting of billions of dollars worth of sanctions. However, the US under the Trump administration withdrew from the deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

In July 2019, Iran reportedly breached its uranium stockpile limit and announced its intention to continue enriching uranium, posing a more serious proliferation risk.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the JCPOA is the best option available to ensure Iran's nuclear program remains entirely peaceful.

Mr. Guterres also stressed that the US needs to lift or waive sanctions and extend waivers related to oil trade with Iran so that the deal can resume.

Minh Duc (According to TASS, UN News)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/iran-muon-my-va-chau-au-do-bo-lenh-trung-phat-de-giam-cang-thang-2042408231257271.htm