New US Commitments Vital for Rejoining JCPOA

Whoever wins the United States’ presidential elections needs to take on new commitments in order to prevent the repetition of its law-breaking conduct before returning to Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement, an Iranian senior official said. 
“For us, it makes no difference who becomes the US president, nor which president would return to JPCOA,” Government Spokesman Ali Rabiei said at a press conference on Tuesday, ISNA reported. 
He used the abbreviation of the nuclear deal’s formal name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, from which US President Donald Trump withdrew unilaterally in 2018 and reimposed tough sanctions on Iran. 
Trump has been ramping up pressure on Tehran ahead of the presidential elections while his Democratic rival Joe Biden has pledged to rejoin JCPOA if Iran returned to full compliance.
“Iran’s reduction of compliance was a reaction to America’s exit and Europe’s lack of commitment … Our conditions for full implementation of JCPOA commitments are clear,” Rabiei said.
After the US withdrawal, Iran refused to quit the agreement, trusting other parties to make up for American sanctions. As European powers’ half-hearted measures failed to address the country’s economic woes, Iran scaled back its commitments to restore balance between its rights and obligations until it can enjoy the deal’s benefits once again.  
“We have repeatedly announced that this move is reversible,” Rabiei said.
Iran has refused to enter talks with the US unless it removes all sanctions, returns to JCPOA and compensate the damage to Iran’s economy. 
“We have no intention to kneel before any scale of bullying,” the spokesman said. 
“The US miscalculation of its power to pressurize Iran and its underestimation of Iran’s determination to stand up to bullying have put American leaders in a self-made predicament.”
According to Rabiei, it’s time the US administration stops its arrogance and stubbornness, and moves to rectify its past mistakes. 

Futile Effort 

The maximum possible pressure on the Iranian nation has had no outcome but crime against humanity, law-breaking at an unprecedented scale in the modern age and damage to America’s reputation in the world, the spokesman said, stressing that this policy will not have a better result in the future either.   
Referring to claims about Iran’s meddling in the US elections, Rabiei said the Foreign Ministry is set to summon the Swiss ambassador who represents US interests in Iran over the allegation.
“We have no involvement in this or any elections … How would Iran interfere with the US elections while neither of the presidents of two American parties have compromised with Iranian people?” 
US intelligence agencies have recently claimed Iran, along with Russia, is seeking to meddle in the US elections.
“Iran has no interest in interfering in the US election and no preference for the outcome,” Spokesman for Iran’s Mission to the United Nations Alireza Miryousefi had said in a statement earlier.