Iran’s Raisi to support nuclear deal if aligned with national interest

Tehran, Jun 21 (EFE).- Iran’s newly elected president, hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, said Monday that his administration would support any negotiation in benefit of national interests, referring to the ongoing nuclear deal talks in Vienna.

However, Raisi ruled out a possible future meeting with US President Joe Biden and said Iran’s ballistic missile program would continue despite international pressure.

At present, Iranian and American delegates working to revive the 2015 Nuclear Deal in Vienna are meeting via intermediaries.

In what was his first press conference as Iran’s president, Raisi stressed that the negotiations must culminate with a positive conclusion and that international sanctions had to be lifted.

“The United States must lift all sanctions oppressing the Iranian people,” said the ultraconservative cleric and current chief justice of Iran.

The negotiations aiming to resurrect the 2015 nuclear deal began in April.

Russia, China, France, the UK and Germany are attempting to find a mechanism for the US to reenter the agreement, after it withdrew in 2018, and for Iran to comply with the pact’s conditions.

Raisi obtained 61.9% of the vote on Friday during a contest with very low turnout, at 48.8% participation. EFE

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