WASHINGTON, June 20 (Xinhua) – US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Sunday played down the impact of the election of Iran’s new president on Tehran’s decisions on the nuclear deal.
Iran’s Interior Ministry announced on Saturday that Ebrahim Raisi had won the Iranian presidential election with more than 60% of the vote.
Mr. Raisi, considered a hard-line supporter by the West, will take office in August.
“Whether the president is Person A or Person B is less relevant than whether the entire (Iranian) system is ready to make verifiable commitments to limit its nuclear program,” Sullivan said in an interview. at ABC News.
“In my opinion, the ultimate decision whether or not to return to the agreement rests with the Supreme Leader of Iran,” he added, referring to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Sullivan noted that Washington and Tehran remain divided over how to return to each other’s respect for the Iran nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Since April, the United States and Iran have taken part in six rounds of indirect negotiations in Vienna, the Austrian capital, with the aim of resuscitating the JCPOA.
“There is still some distance to go on some key issues, such as sanctions and Iran’s nuclear commitments,” he said.
“But the arrow is now pointing in the right direction. We will see in the next round of talks whether Iranian negotiators are ready to make tough decisions,” he added. End
–
