Winning the presidential election, this Iranian presidential candidate is ready to meet Biden

TEHERAN – A presidential candidate Iran said he was willing to meet the President United States of America (AS) Joe Biden if he wins the presidential election next week, though America needs to send a better and stronger signal to Tehran.

The former head of the Central Bank of Iran, Abdolnasser Hemmati, stressed that America’s return to Iran nuclear deal tattered ones are key to any possible relationship amid broader tensions in the Middle East.

“I don’t think we’ve seen anything serious on Biden’s part yet,” Hemmati said.

“First of all they have to go back to the (nuclear deal) they pulled. If we see a process and greater confidence, then we can talk about it,” he told The Associated Press, Wednesday (9/6/2021).

Also read: Blinken: Iran could build a nuclear bomb in a matter of weeks

Speaking to AP reporters at his office in Tehran, Hemmati said repeatedly that the signal Iran was expecting from the US was Washington’s return to the nuclear deal.

“America has sent a positive signal but the signal has not been strong enough,” he said.

“If there is a stronger signal, it will affect how optimistic or pessimistic we are.”

Asked about whether Iran would be willing to accept further restrictions, such as on its ballistic missile program for sanctions relief, Hemmati said Tehran would reject such an offer.

“Iran’s nuclear commitments must be within the framework (of the deal),” he said.

“Otherwise, neither the (supreme) leader nor the president will accept it,” he said.

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Hemmati, 64, is one of seven presidential candidates approved by Iranian authorities to run for president in the upcoming June 18 election in the Islamic Republic. Polls and analysts show he is trailing in the fight behind hardline judiciary chief and front-runner Ebrahim Raisi, who is believed to be the favorite of Iran’s Supreme Spiritual Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

While Khamenei has the final say on all state issues, whoever serves as president can influence domestic issues and set the tone for Iran’s broader approach to the world. The outgoing President Hassan Rouhani, a relatively moderate cleric in Iranian theocracy, helped his country reach an important nuclear deal with world powers in 2015.

However, Rouhani has struggled with the repercussions of President Donald Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw America from the agreement in 2018. That looks to crush sanctions targeting Iran and Tehran then abandon all restrictions on its nuclear program. Now it enriches uranium in small quantities to 60% purity — a record high, though still less than the level for making weapons of 90%.

Also read: Khamenei: Iran wants action, not promises to live up to nuclear deal

(ian)

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