Iran calls for lifting US sanctions to resume nuclear talks

Tehran: Iran's atomic energy chief said the United States should lift all of its sanctions against Iran in order to resume the stalled negotiations on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal.

Mohammad Eslami, President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said, that the time has come for the US to revise its flawed policies and remove all sanctions imposed on Tehran in a practical and verifiable manner, reported news agency IANS.

In an address to the 65th regular session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which kicked off in the Austrian capital Vienna on Monday, Eslami on Monday noted that Washington's "maximum pressure" policy against Iran, introduced and pursued by former US President Donald Trump, has ended in failure, Xinhua news agency reported.

He added that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was signed between Iran and the P5+1 in 2015, is a clear example of Tehran's goodwill, regretting the US not only refrained from complying with the agreement but also withdrew from the treaty.

Eslami also said Iran has always cooperated with the IAEA, calling on the agency to refrain from politicizing the Islamic Republic's peaceful nuclear program and maintain its independence, impartiality and professionalism.

Last week, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi visited Tehran and held talks with the AEOI chief.

Eslami described the negotiations centring on technical issues as "constructive" and said "confidence-building" is what matters for Tehran and the UN nuclear watchdog.

After six rounds of talks in Vienna since April aiming to restore the JCPOA and to return the US to it, the parties said serious differences remain between Tehran and Washington for the revival of the deal.

The sixth round ended on June 20, with the negotiations currently on hiatus.

In May 2018, Trump pulled the US out of the JCPOA and unilaterally re-imposed sanctions on Iran.

In response, Tehran has gradually stopped implementing parts of its commitments to the deal since May 2019.