TEHRAN (Iran News) – Next President Not to Change Course on JCPOA. Government Spokesman Ali Rabiei says he believes the removal of all sanctions, including those related to the 2015 nuclear deal, is near at hand.
Rabiei said in a presser on Tuesday that Tehran hopes the final round of the nuclear talks in Vienna is held soon and the negotiations bear fruit before the current administration leaves office.
“Just as we are in no haste in the talks, we are strongly opposed to the negotiations lingering on. Our focus is on ending the negotiations in the remaining time,” Rabiei said.
He also dismissed stated concerns on whether a change of administration in Iran affects the commitments Iran makes in the talks. He said everyone can rest assured that the Islamic Republic will not go back on its commitments as long as all signatories to the nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, stick to their obligations under the accord.
“Adherence to commitments and respect for international law is an established principle of Iran’s foreign policy, which will not change with a change in government,” Rabiei said.
Rabiei said the decision to engage with the deal’s other participants, including the U.S., was made by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and had backing from the highest levels of Iran’s ruling establishment. That won’t be affected by Rouhani’s departure, Rabiei said.
“Other parties to the nuclear deal can rest assured that Iran will not break its obligations as long as they abide by their commitments,” he told reporters.. “We’re focused on finalizing talks in the remaining time. Right now, we’re not interested in speculating about different possibilities in advance.”
The spokesman also talked about the remaining FATF bills, which Iran should ratify before it is removed from the regulatory body’s blacklist. He said these bills are an independent issue and are not related to the nuclear talks in Vienna. Rabiei stressed that the Expediency Council has the final say on the issue. But he expressed hopes that revival of the nuclear deal would increase the ratification chances of the Palermo and CFT bills.
Rabiei further went on to say that the Islamic Republic of Iran has not withdrawn from any international agreement so far and has not violated its commitments as it is a national consensus and at national levels so long as not all parties abide by their obligations, they can be sure that the Islamic Republic of Iran will not violate its obligations.
