Iran's leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has stated that his country will only return to compliance with the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal) after it verifies that the sanctions against it have been lifted not "in words" but for real. Khamenei explained that such verification would include the sale of an oil shipment, concluded with an unimpeded transfer of payment for the sold crude.
"Verification [of US' sanctions removal] means [that Iran will be capable of] selling oil in an official manner, with ease and under normal conditions, and that the money will be received by Iran", the Iranian leader elaborated.
Khamenei went on to reiterate that the US must remove all sanctions from the Islamic republic, if it wants Iran to return to the full JCPOA compliance. He added that Tehran is in no rush in terms of Washington returning to the nuclear accord.
At the same time, the Iranian leader stressed that Tehran will not concede to Washington's demands to make the first step in returning to abiding by the JCPOA provisions. Khamenei explained that his country's decision to boost uranium enrichment beyond the 3.66% limit and exceed limitations on nuclear fuel stockpiling was the correct response to the violation of the treaty's provisions by other JCPOA signatories. The Ayatollah referred to Tehran's earlier condemnation of the European countries' failure to protect Iran from the American sanctions and to assure the unimpeded sale of its oil abroad.
US and Iran Fail to Agree on terms for Restoring JCPOA Compliance
The statement's by Iran's leader comes in the wake of talks in Vienna, where the Joint Commission of the JCPOA signatories and the US are trying to work out a way to ensure the return to compliance with the nuclear deal of all parties, specifically Iran and the US.
The latter was responsible for the nuclear accord's current dire condition; it withdrew in 2018 and slapped Iran with hefty economic sanctions, crippling its oil trade and cutting the country off the global banking system. The new US administration of Joe Biden has expressed an interest in re-joining the nuclear deal, but has been demanding that Tehran take the first step in returning to compliance. Iran has strenuously rejected this proposition.