Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that his country is pursuing a step-for-step policy in the nuclear file, and that lifting all sanctions will be met with a reversal of all its steps, calling on the United States to return to the nuclear agreement and abide by its commitments.

Rouhani added in statements he made today, Wednesday, that conditions have become appropriate for all parties to return to implement the nuclear deal, and Washington should take the first step.

He stressed that if Washington returns to the nuclear agreement, Tehran will backtrack on its steps to reduce its nuclear commitments, indicating that Washington’s return will be in the interest of all, and will lead to improving conditions internationally and regionally, as he put it.

The debate ranges between Washington and Tehran over the return to the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the 5 + 1 group (America, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China).

The Biden administration had announced its intention to return to the nuclear agreement from which the administration of former President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018, but the complex of disagreement now lies in the demand of each party to the other party to initiate the first step.

Iran says that the United States must first return to the agreement and lift the sanctions, while the United States demands that Iran return first to respect its obligations arising from the agreement.

Washington had announced its acceptance of the European Union’s invitation to hold direct talks with Iran over its nuclear program, but the latter stresses that before entering into any such talks, US sanctions must be lifted or eased.

On Monday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that the path to diplomacy is open regarding Iran's nuclear file, and that the ball is in its court, warning in the meantime that the steps taken by Tehran make its nuclear program more dangerous, referring to the increase in the pace of uranium enrichment and restricting the access of inspectors. The International Atomic Energy Agency to a number of Iranian nuclear sites.

Controversy in Congress

On the other hand, 140 US lawmakers from the Republican and Democratic parties urged President Joe Biden's administration to seek to conclude a comprehensive deal with Iran.

In a letter to the administration, the deputies called for an agreement that would re-impose restrictions on Iran's nuclear program and limit its ballistic missile program.

Lawmakers from both parties called on the Biden administration to deal with Tehran "through diplomatic mechanisms and sanctions, until it recedes its malign behavior."

At the same time, the letter stated that restrictions imposed on Iran's nuclear program should be extended, to prove that it is not pursuing a nuclear weapon.

On the other hand, the State Department included, on Tuesday, two officials of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on the list of sanctions, as it said that they were involved in human rights violations, including attacks on detainees during protests that took place in 2019 and 2020.

Blinken said in a statement, that his country will continue to discuss all possible tools to make those responsible for human rights violations in Iran pay the price, as he put it.