Sanctions Lifting Prerequisite for Return to JCPOA Compliance

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Sunday reiterated Iran’s call for complete sanctions removal as a prerequisite for its return to full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 
He described it as Islamic Republic’s “definite, irreversible and irrevocable policy” on JCPOA, over which all Iranian authorities are in agreement, Leader.ir reported. 
The nuclear deal was struck between Iran and the six world powers and saw the removal of sanctions on Tehran in return for curbs on its nuclear program. 
The US, however, pulled out in 2018 and restored sweeping sanctions that the European parties failed to counter. 
In response to the pressure, Iran scaled down its commitments in 2019, but says all moves would be reversed once sanctions are eased. 
New US President Joe Biden has now said he would rejoin the deal if Iran resumes strict compliance, but Tehran maintains that the sanctions must be lifted completely first.
“Based on logic and reason, the US and the three European countries [France, Britain and Germany] who have violated their JCPOA commitments have no right to set conditions,” the Leader said, during his address to a group of Air Force commanders in Tehran. 
He noted that the sanctions were partly suspended for a very short period after the deal’s signing, but were then reinstated and even increased. 
“The party that has a right to set conditions for the resumption of JCPOA is the Islamic Republic of Iran, since it has fulfilled all its JCPOA obligations from the beginning,” he said. 
Iran says all its nuclear steps beyond the deal’s limits have been taken based on the provisions of the very agreement which allows one party to reduce its compliance in case of non-compliance by other participants.
“If they want Iran to return to its JCPOA commitments, the US must revoke all the sanctions practically, not in words or on paper,” the leader said. 
In that case, the Islamic Republic would resume compliance after verifying the authenticity of the sanctions lifting, he added. 
Ayatollah Khamenei also called on Iranian authorities to work toward improving the elements of national power in the meantime, including on the reinforcement of the countries’ armed forces in proportion with regional and international requirements. 
He described the recent military drills as “a source of pride” as they show the country’s ability to ensure its national security, even under sanctions.  
The Leader later warned against being intimidated by the enemies or pinning hopes on them in political and economic sectors, stressing the importance of relying on domestic capabilities.