The Takeaway: Who goes first in return to Iran nuclear deal?
Iran President Hassan Rouhani says ‘we are ready’; US Secretary of State designate Blinken says Iranian compliance, consultations with allies critical to new deal; Al-Monitor archive interviews with two members of Biden team; Egypt’s animal problems.
Iran: Timing is everything on return to Iran deal
Rouhani praises Biden’s ‘political experience.’ Amidst the congratulatory messages from world leaders on Joe Biden’s inauguration, Iran President Hassan Rouhani had one too.
“The new US administration understands politics and has political experience,” Rouhani said, drawing contrast with former US President Donald Trump, who “was a tower builder and did not know politics. … What happened to us in these three years was because [of] Trump's conspiracies.”
Iran ‘ready’ to deal ... More tellingly, Rouhani made clear, again, that Iran wants back into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran nuclear deal, if the United States agrees to rejoin as well. US sanctions on Iran’s oil imports and financial transactions, imposed after the Trump administration withdrew from the deal in 2018, have taken a terrible toll on Iran’s economy, which is experiencing a third straight year of negative economic growth.
“Today, we are ready,” Rouhani said. “If the other side acts honestly and returns to the law and obligations, the problems will be solved very quickly and there would be no legal complexities.”
