Feb 20 (Reuters) – Iran believes U.S. sanctions will soon belifted despite continuing “diplomatic wrangling” over revivingthe nuclear deal, a government spokesman said on Saturday,signalling Tehran’s desire to end the impasse while not offeringa new position.
Iran and the United States have been at odds over who shouldtake the first step to revive the 2015 accord. Iran insists thatthe United States must first lift former President DonaldTrump’s sanctions while Washington says Tehran must first returnto compliance with the deal.
The White House said on Friday that the United States plansto take no additional actions in response to pressure from Iranbefore potential talks with Tehran and major powers aboutreturning to the deal.
However, government spokesman Ali Rabiei was quoted assaying by the official IRNA news agency on Saturday:
“We predict with confidence that diplomatic initiatives willresult in a favourable outcome despite the diplomatic wrangling,which are a natural prelude to the return of the parties totheir commitments, including the lifting of all sanctions in thenear future.”
Under the deal with major powers, Iran accepted curbs to itsnuclear programme in return for the lifting of internationalsanctions. Washington reimposed sanctions after Trump quit thedeal in 2018, and Iran responded by violating some of the deal’snuclear limits.
Adding to pressure for a resolution to the impasse, a lawpassed by the hardline parliament obliges Tehran on Feb. 23 tolimit the sweeping access given to U.N. inspectors under thedeal.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, RafaelGrossi, is due in Tehran this weekend to discuss ways to workwith Iran in light of the possibility of scaling backcooperation.
Rabiei said the law “does not go against our commitment” tothe agreement, nor is it “an obstacle to our appropriateresponse to American actions”.([email protected] by Frances Kerry)