The U.S. says it is willing to negotiate a return to the Iranian nuclear agreement. The Iranian Foreign Minister: The U.S. Should Take the First Step

　　China News Service, February 19, reported that the US Secretary of State Brinken said on the 18th that the United States is ready to negotiate with Iran on the return to the Iran nuclear agreement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif said that Washington should take the first step.

　　On the 18th, Brinken held a video conference with the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the United Kingdom and stated that if Iran fully abides by its commitments under the Iran nuclear agreement, the United States will also return to the agreement.

　　Brinken said that, as US President Biden said, if Iran resumes strict compliance with its commitments under the comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue, the United States will do the same and is ready to begin discussions with Iran to achieve related goals.

　　However, Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif said that Washington should take the first step to solve the problem.

He stated on social networking sites that Iran’s actions were a response to the US’s violation of the terms of the Iran nuclear agreement. Therefore, the root cause should be “corrected” first, and Iran will “respond to actions with actions”.

　　On the other hand, the US Biden administration withdrew the Trump administration's statement on the restoration of UN sanctions on Iran.

According to a letter seen by Reuters, the acting US ambassador to the United Nations, Richard Mills, notified the United Nations Security Council on the 18th that Washington withdrew the previous statement.

　　The letter stated that "the measures in Articles 7, 8, 16 to 20 of UN Security Council Resolution 2231 are still valid."

　　In July 2015, Iran reached a comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue with the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany.

According to the agreement, Iran promised to limit its nuclear program and the international community lifted sanctions against Iran.

　　In May 2018, the US government unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement, and subsequently restarted and added a series of sanctions against Iran.

Since May 2019, Iran has gradually suspended the implementation of some of the terms of the agreement, but promised that the measures taken are "reversible."

　　On September 19, 2020, the U.S. State Department unilaterally announced that in accordance with the "quick restoration of sanctions" mechanism in UN Security Council Resolution 2231, the 2015 comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue reached the sanctions imposed by the United Nations on Iran. It will be effective from 8 pm on the 19th.

　　The members of the Security Council, including participants in the Iran nuclear agreement, have repeatedly reiterated that the United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear agreement in May 2018 and no longer has the qualifications to initiate the "quick restoration of sanctions" mechanism.