Iran says internal conflicts blocked benefits of nuclear deal

Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif said on Monday that internal conflicts have hampered the possibility of benefiting from the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The deal was agreed with several major countries, including the US.

“Over the past 30 years, negotiating with the United States has been a taboo and a red line,” Zarif told a local newspaper. He added that there are differences within Tehran regarding the vision for negotiating with Washington.

“Some people believe it is dangerous to negotiate with America, while others think that all interests are in this, but with the wisdom of [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei this taboo has been broken. We negotiated the nuclear deal with America, which was defeated, not us.”

Commenting on the status of the nuclear agreement, Zarif said that the Biden administration seems not to have reached a final decision yet regarding its foreign policy. Pressure from many parties within and outside America, including Israel and some countries in the Middle East, may also be behind this delay, he suggested.

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