Ebrahim Raisi slams US at UNGA, says Iran keen on rejoining Nuclear Deal

Iran’s newly minted President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday, 21 September, launched a scathing attack on the US and said that the world no longer cares about “America first” or “America’s back”. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) via a video link, the hardliner also brought in regional issues, American support to Israel and stalled talks on the 2015 Nuclear Deal. Notably, Raisi is under US sanctions for alleged human rights abuses in the past and did not travel to New York pertaining to related complications. 

Raisi said that he was eager to resume the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), highlighting that nuclear weapons have “no place” in Iran’s defence and deterrence policy. Calling out for an end to crippling US sanctions, Raisi said that his country is keen on having large scale polito-economic engaeements with the world. 

“Nukes have no place in our defense doctrine and deterrence policy. Our country’s strategic policy is to consider the production and stockpiling of atomic weapons as forbidden,” he said. “ Sanctions are the US’ new way of war with the nations of the world.” 

'Maximum opression' 

Cornering Washington, he further said that its policy of “maximum oppression” is still ongoing but what all Iranians wanted was “rightfully” theirs. “All parties must stay true to the nuclear deal and the UN Resolution in practice," he said. Earlier on Tuesday, Tehran indicated the possibility of resumption of JCPOA talks in Vienna, the seventh attempt to revive the salvaging deal. 

The deal, signed in 2015 between Iran and other major world powers, including the United States, France, Britain, China, Russia, and Germany (P5+1), saw Washington lifting economic sanctions against Tehran and in return, the Islamic Republic agreed to bring down its uranium enrichment programme. However, Donald Trump withdrew the US from the pact in 2018, calling the structure of the deal "rotten". The Islamic Republic then retaliated by nixing its compliance with the deal. As of now, six talks have been held in an attempt to revive the controversial nuclear pact, but despite US President Joe Biden vowing to resume the pact at the earliest, negotiations continue to be in a limbo. 

(Image: AP)

(With ANI Inputs)