Iran would return to nuclear deal within an hour of US joining pact: Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said his country would start complying with the 2015 nuclear deal arrangements within an hour of the United States rejoining the pact. According to The Guardian, Rouhani added that Iran would not accept any changes to the deal and will continue its ballistic missile programme. Rouhani's remarks came a day before the meeting between Iran and European signatories of the deal and on the same day as the US electoral college members cast their votes to cement incoming President Joe Biden's win. 

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Biden has vowed to rejoin

Joe Biden has vowed to return to the Obama-era nuclear deal as soon as he resumes power. 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 "decaying" and "rotten", despite the European members objecting to the move.

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Joe Biden, during his election campaign, had promised that one of the first things he would do after assuming the presidency is to rejoin the nuclear deal. Iran is also very hopeful of the US rejoining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as the sanctions that were reimposed by the Trump administration following the withdrawal is crippling the country's economy. But at the same time, Tehran is being cautious already indicating that it is not willing to go back to the negotiating table and rediscuss the terms of the deal. 

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Meanwhile, the United States on Monday imposed sanctions on two Iranian intelligence officials over their alleged role in the abduction of retired FBI officer Robert A. Levinson, who disappeared from Iran’s Kish Island on or about March 9, 2007. "Mohammad Baseri and Ahmad Khazai, acting in their capacity as MOIS officers, were involved in the abduction, detention, and probable death of Mr. Levinson," US State Department said in a statement. 

Read: Iran Sentences British-Iranian Researcher To 9 Years In Jail

(Image Credit: AP)