Iran's president-elect ready to revive nuclear deal - ex-foreign minister

Iranian President-elect Masoud Pezeshkian has expressed readiness to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) concerning Tehran's nuclear program, according to Mohammad Javad Zarif, head of the advisory committee for the formation of Pezeshkian's government and Iran's foreign minister from 2013 to 2021.

"Our new government under the leadership of President-elect Pezeshkian is ready to engage in dialogue in good faith - per the JCPOA and Iranian law - to ensure mutual respect [for] the terms of this unique achievement of diplomacy," Zarif wrote on X, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Zarif also underscored the necessity of adhering to the law "On strategic actions for lifting sanctions and protecting the interests of the Iranian people," which was passed by the Iranian parliament in December 2020. This legislation was a response to the United States' unilateral withdrawal from the JCPOA in 2018, when then-US President Donald Trump reinstated anti-Iran sanctions, including an embargo on oil exports.

"As I explained in a letter to the UN secretary-general a few days before I stepped down [as foreign minister], the US, the EU, and the European troika countries (Britain, Germany, and France) are themselves to blame for our legislature's reaction to their consistent disregard for their legal obligations, which have caused incalculable damage to the Iranian people. They should correct themselves and guarantee that Iran benefits from the deal without hindrance," Zarif added.

Pezeshkian's commitment to re-engage with the JCPOA highlights a potential shift in Iran's approach to international diplomacy and sanctions relief under his forthcoming administration.