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.



Trump Says He Will Speak to Putin Soon about Ending Ukraine War

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in 2019. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in 2019. (Reuters)
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Trump Says He Will Speak to Putin Soon about Ending Ukraine War

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in 2019. (Reuters)
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in 2019. (Reuters)

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday after talks with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he is considering sending more Patriot missile batteries to Ukraine to help Kyiv fend off Russian attacks, Reuters reported.

Trump said the anti-missile missiles are "very hard to get" but that "we are going to see if we can make some of them available."

Trump, at a press conference after attending the annual NATO summit, said Zelenskiy would like to end the war.

Trump said he will speak to Putin about it soon.

"Look, Vladimir Putin really has to end that war," Trump said.