TEHRAN – An Iranian lawmaker has reiterated Tehran’s position that U.S. sanctions on Iran should be abrogated, calling lifting of sanctions the only way to revive a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major world powers.

The lawmaker, Yacub Rezazadeh, told the Islamic Consultative News Agency (ICANA), that the U.S. unconditional return to the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and the removal of sanctions are the only way to salvage the nuclear deal. 

“Parliament and the government explicitly emphasize the nullification and rapid lifting of Western sanctions. Given the good diplomacy of the foreign minister and the emphasis of the president, we hope that the sanctions will be lifted,” the lawmaker said. 

He added, “We must pursue the issue of lifting sanctions seriously through the Europeans; on the other hand, we must not back down from our demands in such a way that the Europeans eventually ask the U.S. government to return to negotiations as soon as possible.”

He noted, “The visit of the head of our country's negotiating team to European countries is for consultations on how to fulfill the obligations. Iran must continue negotiations and talks with strength and vigor.”

Rezazadeh was referring to the recent European tour of Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani, who leads the country’s negotiating team.
 
Bagheri Kani has toured a number of European countries in a bid to set the stage for what Iranian officials have called “result-oriented” talks whose success would only be measured with their effectiveness in lifting the U.S. sanctions on Iran.

The deputy foreign minister of Iran met with his counterparts in France, Germany, and the UK ahead of the seventh round of the Vienna talks scheduled to take place on November 29.

Prior to Bagheri Kani’s visit, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian held telephone conversations with the foreign ministers of the countries participating in the Vienna talks, including the European trio of France, Germany, and the UK.

“The only way for the JCPOA to continue is for the United States to return unconditionally to the obligations of the nuclear deal. The best way is to lift all sanctions imposed by the United States. The Iranian assets blocked in European countries, etc. must also be released,” Rezazadeh added.

Rezazadeh, who sits on the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Parliament, stated that through perseverance and diplomacy, a good result can be obtained from the negotiations.

“Western countries should know that Iran is a powerful country in the region, and if they want the security of the Middle East (West Asia) to be stable, our country's role in these issues must be taken seriously,” he concluded. 

Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian has said the Vienna talks should result in tangible results in terms of lifting the U.S. sanctions. 

The foreign minister reiterated Iran’s position again on Instagram. “The Islamic Republic of Iran is entering the talks with a pragmatic and result-oriented approach and it is determined to reach a good deal, but this entails effective and verifiable removal of sanctions and the return of all sides to full compliance with their commitments,” he said.

Hinting at Iran’s new approach, Amir Abdollahian pointed out that “Iran does not intend to remain stuck in the stalemate of previous talks, as we already have access to those negotiations.”

The Iranian foreign minister reiterated this message in an earlier phone call with his British counterpart. “The Vienna talks’ success is contingent on the removal of all sanctions, the return of all sides to their obligations, giving necessary assurances about the implementation of all talks’ results, and verification of actions by the other sides,” Amir Abdollahian told Liz Truss.