Zarif Says Iran to Meet Nuclear Commitments if Biden Lifts Sanctions

A file picture shows Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during a news conference in Tehran on August 5, 2019. AFP
A file picture shows Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during a news conference in Tehran on August 5, 2019. AFP
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Zarif Says Iran to Meet Nuclear Commitments if Biden Lifts Sanctions

A file picture shows Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during a news conference in Tehran on August 5, 2019. AFP
A file picture shows Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during a news conference in Tehran on August 5, 2019. AFP

Iran said Wednesday it would "automatically" return to its nuclear commitments if US President-elect Joe Biden lifts sanctions.

Tehran again meeting its commitments "can be done automatically and needs no conditions or even negotiations," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in comments published in the state-run Iran daily.

Once in the White House, Biden could "lift all of these (sanctions) with three executive orders," Zarif argued.

If Biden's administration does so, Iran's return to nuclear commitments will be "quick", the minister added, AFP reported.

Washington's return to the deal, however, could wait, Zarif added.

"The next stage that will need negotiating is America's return... which is not a priority," he noted, adding that "the first priority is America ending its law-breaking".

Zarif said that although outgoing US President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the JCPOA, he did not withdraw the country from the UN and thus must carry out the decisions of the UN Security Council.

"As a UN member and a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the US is duty-bound to implement Resolution 2231," Zarif stressed.

For his part, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called the Trump administration "unruly", and said a Biden administration could "bring back the atmosphere" that prevailed in 2015 at the time of the nuclear deal.



Earthquake Strikes off Chile’s Southern Coast, Sparking Tsunami Threat

 People evacuate the coastline in Chile, following a tsunami preventive advisory generated by local authorities, after an earthquake sparked a tsunami threat on the Pacific coast, in Punta Arenas, Chile, May 2, 2025. (Reuters)
People evacuate the coastline in Chile, following a tsunami preventive advisory generated by local authorities, after an earthquake sparked a tsunami threat on the Pacific coast, in Punta Arenas, Chile, May 2, 2025. (Reuters)
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Earthquake Strikes off Chile’s Southern Coast, Sparking Tsunami Threat

 People evacuate the coastline in Chile, following a tsunami preventive advisory generated by local authorities, after an earthquake sparked a tsunami threat on the Pacific coast, in Punta Arenas, Chile, May 2, 2025. (Reuters)
People evacuate the coastline in Chile, following a tsunami preventive advisory generated by local authorities, after an earthquake sparked a tsunami threat on the Pacific coast, in Punta Arenas, Chile, May 2, 2025. (Reuters)

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Drake Passage between Cape Horn and Antarctica at a depth of just 10 km (6 miles) on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said.

Chile's SENAPRED disaster agency said a coastal area of Magallanes region in the southern tip of the country should be evacuated due to the risk of a tsunami.

"We're calling to evacuate the coast in the whole region of Magallanes," President Gabriel Boric said on X, adding that all the states resources would be made available to deal with any impact.

Videos on social media showed people calmly evacuating as sirens blared in the background. Chile's Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOA) estimated that waves will reach bases in Antarctica and cities in Chile's extreme south in the coming hours.

Chile's Antarctic institute (INAHC) told Reuters that bases were being evacuated.

SENAPRED said it was establishing a state of precaution, an alert associated with minor tsunamis. NOAA said that waves from 0.3 to 1 meter were expected in Antarctica and waves measuring 1 meter to 3 meters were expected in Chile.