Biden only committed to Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’, as Iran sticks to diplomacy: FM
Iran has criticized the administration of US President Joe Biden for casting doubt on Tehran’s seriousness in pursuing diplomacy while it has itself persisted with the failed "maximum pressure" campaign initiated by former president, Donald Trump.
According to Press TV, in a tweet on Thursday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Iran’s “seriousness of purpose” in pursuing diplomacy was tested in the three years since Trump withdrew from the 2015 landmark nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
“Iran—by remaining in the deal—passed with flying colors,” Zarif wrote, adding, “The Biden administration, however, has only shown a commitment to Trump’s maximum pressure.
Zarif’s remarks came after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Iran’s move to begin enriching uranium at 60 percent purity “provocative”.
Iran only started to take remedial measures in 2019 one year after it could not reap economic benefits from the deal in the face of the illegal US sanctions and the Europeans’ failure to keep the end of the bargain.
Tehran said its counter-measures taken under Article 36 of the JCPOA are reversible if the US removes its sanctions in a way that can be verified by the Islamic Republic.
Iran’s announcement of its intent to increase the percentage of its enrichment program came days after Natanz nuclear enrichment site was hit in a terrorist attack that Tehran condemned as an act of “nuclear terrorism” and hold the illegal Zionist entity responsible.
SS
