Trump’s political life has ended, but the nuclear deal is still alive: Rouhani says 'ball in US court' over JCPOA

Iran’s president has reiterated his country’s willingness to return to the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, but says it’s up to the incoming Biden administration to make the necessary concessions.

Speaking on Wednesday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani urged President-elect Joe Biden to reverse the moves taken against Iran during Donald Trump’s time in office.

“The ball is in the US court now. If Washington returns to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal, we will also fully respect our commitments under the pact,” Rouhani said in a televised cabinet meeting.

“Today, we expect the incoming US administration to return to the rule of law and commit themselves, and if they can, in the next four years, to remove all the black spots of the previous four years,” he said.

The Iranian leader also rejoiced at the impending departure of President Trump from the White House, noting that “Trump is dead… but the nuclear deal is still alive.” “State terrorism took place in the history of the White House,” he added.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was signed between Iran and the six major global powers in 2015 and put constraints on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, but the outgoing president unilaterally pulled the US out of the deal in 2018. The US withdrawal from the pact was compounded by Washington’s decision to reintroduce crippling sanctions against Iran.

Earlier in January, Iran further hollowed out the remains of the nuclear pact, upping uranium enrichment to 20 percent, which was much higher than the 3.67 percent level agreed in the 2015 pact, but still far below the 90 percent level that is considered weapons-grade.

Speaking on Monday, Iran’s atomic energy chief said the country was ready to cut back its uranium enrichment program if the US returned to the 2015 nuclear deal. He claimed the country’s nuclear sites were now delivering almost half a kilo of 20-percent-enriched uranium every day.

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