Iran's Khamenei demands 'action' from Biden to revive nuclear deal

[webfact]

Iran's Khamenei demands 'action' from Biden to revive nuclear deal

By Parisa Hafezi

 

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wears a mask during a virtual speech, in Tehran, Iran February 17, 2021. Official Khamenei Website/Handout via REUTERS

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei demanded "action, not words" from the United States if it wants to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, challenging new President Joe Biden to take the first step toward a thaw.

 

Iran has set a deadline of next week for Biden to begin reversing sanctions imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump, or it will take its biggest step yet to breach the deal - banning short-notice inspections by the U.N. nuclear watchdog.

 

"We have heard many nice words and promises which in practice have been broken and opposite actions have been taken," Khamenei said in a televised speech. "Words and promises are no good. This time (we want) only action from the other side, and we will also act."

 

The United States on Wednesday urged Tehran to reverse and refrain from steps harming its pledges under the accord.

 

Biden aims to restore the pact under which Iran agreed to curbs on its disputed uranium enrichment programme in return for the lifting of sanctions, a major achievement of the Obama administration that Trump scrapped in 2018, calling the deal one sided in Iran's favour and reimposing a wide range of sanctions.

 

Iran and the United States are at odds over who should make the first step to revive the accord. Iran says the United States must first lift Trump's sanctions while Washington says Tehran must first return to compliance with the deal, which it began violating after Trump launched his "maximum-pressure" campaign.

 

Highlighting the urgency of a diplomatic solution to the standoff, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had a rare phone call with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in which she urged Tehran to take steps ensuring its return to full compliance.

 

"It is now time for positive signals that create trust and increase the chances of a diplomatic solution," Merkel told Rouhani, according to a statement by the chancellor's spokesman.

 

Iran has accelerated its breaches of the deal's restrictions in recent months, culminating in an announcement that it will end snap inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Feb. 23.

 

Such inspections, which can range anywhere beyond Iran's declared nuclear sites, are mandated under the IAEA's "Additional Protocol" that Iran agreed to honour under the deal. It signed up to the Protocol in 2003 but has not ratified it.

 

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a press briefing that Washington was aware of Tehran's plan to cease snap inspections.

 

"As we and partners have underscored, Iran should reverse these steps and refrain from taking others that would impact the IAEA assurances," Price said, adding: "The path for diplomacy remains open."

 

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An IAEA report on Wednesday said Iran had informed the IAEA of plans to install more of its advanced IR-2m centrifuges at its main underground enrichment plant at Natanz, in a further move apparently meant to pile pressure on Washington.

 

The IAEA reported on Feb. 1 that Iran had brought a second cascade, or cluster, of IR-2m machines online at Natanz, and was installing two more. The 2015 deal says Iran can only enrich with far less efficient, first-generation IR-1 centrifuges.

 

Iran recently began enriching uranium to 20% fissile purity at another site, Fordow, well above its previous level of 4.5% and the deal's 3.67% limit, though still well before the 90% that is weapons grade. Iran had enriched to 20% before the deal.

 

Refining uranium to high levels of fissile purity is a potential pathway to nuclear bombs, though Iran has long said it its enrichment programme is for peaceful energy purposes only.

 

European parties to the deal, which have called on Tehran not to halt snap inspections, will discuss the issue with the United States on Thursday, the French Foreign Ministry said.

 

Rouhani played down the importance of the snap inspections, saying that ending them would not be a "significant step", as Iran would still comply with obligations under a so-called Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA.

 

"We will end the implementation of the Additional Protocol on Feb. 23 and what will be implemented will be based on the safeguards," Rouhani said at a televised cabinet meeting. "The Additional Protocol is a step beyond safeguards."

 

Iran's envoy to the IAEA said on Wednesday that the agency's director general, Rafael Grossi, would visit Tehran on Saturday to discuss the country's plan to scale back cooperation with inspectors next week.

 

(Reporting by Parisa Hafezi in Dubai; Additional reporting by Joseph Nasr in Berlin, Francois Murphy in Vienna and Simon Lewis in Washington; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-18

 

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[Tug]

Well.......Joe Biden is receptive to opening negotiations there’s your (action) the ball is in your court sir

[RanongCat]

If is believed Iran was in compliance before Trump cause problem maybe Iran is not so wrong saying who need step back first.

[Morch]

5 hours ago, RanongCat said:

If is believed Iran was in compliance before Trump cause problem maybe Iran is not so wrong saying who need step back first.

 

Maybe not wrong, but that doesn't make it a particularly constructive position when trying to sort this mess.

[fvw53]

7 hours ago, RanongCat said:

If is believed Iran was in compliance before Trump cause problem maybe Iran is not so wrong saying who need step back first.

It was not "believed" but absolutely sure that Iran was in compliance....Don't forget  there were other partners in this deal :  the EU and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council—China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States—plus Germany....It was only Donald the Great who - pushed by his buddies (UAE, KSA and Israel) - decided that the deal had to be abandoned.

[Pilotman]

 

The supposed 'agreement'  stopped nothing.  Those Iranian lunatics have never stopped trying to develop a bomb.  Trump was right and  not for the first time in history,  the Europeans are appeasing, gullible  fools .  It will end in tears and rather their tears than ours. 

Edited February 18, 2021 by onthedarkside
quote of hidden post removed

[from the home of CC]

4 hours ago, Morch said:

 

Maybe not wrong, but that doesn't make it a particularly constructive position when trying to sort this mess.

agreed. they need to reset their approach if they want to negotiate, for it's Iran and it's people that are hurting from the sanctions, not the US, and now is not the time to pose for the populace by standing up to the 'evil satan' or whatever nonsense being bayed. And besides, losing the ability to make money due to sanctions will seem tame compared to what Israel will do to them if continued to be threatened directly and by proxy. 

[Pilotman]

 

you get the government you deserve, or that you are prepared to put up with. There is nothing more powerful than the Country's people.  They live under the lunatic mullahs  because they want to do so.  

Edited February 18, 2021 by onthedarkside
quote of hidden post removed

[mrfill]

17 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

you get the government you deserve, or that you are prepared to put up with. There is nothing more powerful than the Country's people.  They live under the lunatic mullahs  because they want to do so.  

The discussion is about Iran, not the US

[Pilotman]

10 minutes ago, mrfill said:

The discussion is about Iran, not the US

i never mentioned the US bar using their B52s.  However, as the European appeasing cowards will not confront Iran, its down to the US to do it,   or Israel . 

[Morch]

3 hours ago, Pilotman said:

 

The supposed 'agreement'  stopped nothing.  Those Iranian lunatics have never stopped trying to develop a bomb.  Trump was right and  not for the first time in history,  the Europeans are appeasing, gullible  fools .  It will end in tears and rather their tears than ours. 

 

They might have 'never stopped', but that was not supported by assessments and intelligence reviews. Not even by those agencies answering to Trump. If I remember correctly, the reasons cited for dropping out of the JCPOA were more on the level of Iran-not-living-up-to-the-spirit-of-the-agreement. There weren't any substantial breach of agreement issues brought up.

 

The inspection regime in place is pretty tight. Could be tighter, yes. But still, nothing similar was applied before. Dismissing it on the force of nothing much at all is not very convincing. Now and then.

[Morch]

2 hours ago, Pilotman said:

 

you get the government you deserve, or that you are prepared to put up with. There is nothing more powerful than the Country's people.  They live under the lunatic mullahs  because they want to do so.  

 

Guess you missed all them riots, protests and civil unrest episodes over the years which got crushed down by the government.

[Pilotman]

15 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

Guess you missed all them riots, protests and civil unrest episodes over the years which got crushed down by the government.

must try harder

[Morch]

1 minute ago, Pilotman said:

must try harder

 

Move them goal posts, sure.

[Pilotman]

18 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

They might have 'never stopped', but that was not supported by assessments and intelligence reviews. Not even by those agencies answering to Trump. If I remember correctly, the reasons cited for dropping out of the JCPOA were more on the level of Iran-not-living-up-to-the-spirit-of-the-agreement. There weren't any substantial breach of agreement issues brought up.

 

The inspection regime in place is pretty tight. Could be tighter, yes. But still, nothing similar was applied before. Dismissing it on the force of nothing much at all is not very convincing. Now and then.

Check the reports freely available on google.  They are enriching far more than they need for peaceful purposes and have far more accelerators than the agreement allows. The only reason for both of these is to produce weapon grade supplies. The world needs to wake  up to this.   But it won't do so, anymore than it did  in regard to North Korea, Pakistan and India.  

[Morch]

Just now, Pilotman said:

Check the reports freely available on google.  They are enriching far more than they need for peaceful purposes and have far more accelerators than the agreement allows. The only reason for both of these is to produce weapon grade supplies. The world needs to wake  up to this.   But it won't do so, anymore than it did  in regard to North Korea, Pakistan and India.  

 

Were they doing that before Trump quit the agreement and replacing sanctions? Nope.

Are the moves they are currently engaged in reversible? Yes.

And you've moved the goalposts once more.

[Sujo]

22 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Check the reports freely available on google.  They are enriching far more than they need for peaceful purposes and have far more accelerators than the agreement allows. The only reason for both of these is to produce weapon grade supplies. The world needs to wake  up to this.   But it won't do so, anymore than it did  in regard to North Korea, Pakistan and India.  

Which they hadnt done before trump.

 

The world did wake up and iran was complying.

[Pilotman]

11 hours ago, Sujo said:

Which they hadnt done before trump.

 

The world did wake up and iran was complying.

I see that you got two laugh emojis for that comment.  There are none so blind and those that will not see. How many times do people need to be told that Iran was never ever ever going to comply with that stupid unworkable agreement. On the face of it yes, secretly, never.  Well we will see won't we.

[Stargeezr]

Iran is the good example of why you do not let your religious 

people run your country.   Another power hungry guy who

is way too powerful. My opinion anyway.

Geezer

[Morch]

 

Biden Administration Formally Offers to Restart Nuclear Talks With Iran

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/18/us/politics/biden-iran-nuclear.html

 

Biden repudiates Trump on Iran, ready for talks on nuke deal

https://apnews.com/article/politics-antony-blinken-iran-e889eb350422f2dcaf507be217e57071

[Pilotman]

https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/israel-warns-iran-about-uranium-enrichment-announcement

[Sujo]

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

I see that you got two laugh emojis for that comment.  There are none so blind and those that will not see. How many times do people need to be told that Iran was never ever ever going to comply with that stupid unworkable agreement. On the face of it yes, secretly, never.  Well we will see won't we.

The facts are that they were complying. Then trump reversed it and iran got worse.

[Morch]

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/israel-warns-iran-about-uranium-enrichment-announcement

 

From the article in the link above:

 

Quote

But Eiland said he saw the Iranian announcement more as a way to put pressure on the incoming Biden administration to return to the Iran nuclear deal from which the Trump administration withdrew.

 

“Today they accelerate very carefully this process in order to create some pressure on the United States in order to be in a better position when the dialogue begins as they believe it will in a matter of a few months,” he said. 

 

Not seen as a step aimed at actually producing a weapon, but applying pressure to return to agreement.

Other than that, not quite sure what was the point of linking the article. Israel been "warning" Iran for about a decade now.

[Pilotman]

3 hours ago, Sujo said:

The facts are that they were complying. Then trump reversed it and iran got worse.

Yea, right,  so its all Trumps fault that the mad mullahs are now trying to make a bomb to blow Israel out of existence.  Weird logic don't you think, or maybe you support these Iranian lunatics in their ambitions?  Have we not yet learnt that appeasement of terrorist Sates never works, apparently not judging by some peoples comments here and elsewhere.  

[Sujo]

10 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Yea, right,  so its all Trumps fault that the mad mullahs are now trying to make a bomb to blow Israel out of existence.  Weird logic don't you think, or maybe you support these Iranian lunatics in their ambitions?  Have we not yet learnt that appeasement of terrorist Sates never works, apparently not judging by some peoples comments here and elsewhere.  

If you look at my earlier post i suggested the mullahs be assassinated instead of bombing the country. So no support from me.

 

Yes blame trump, the agreement was working.  Then he pulled the pin and here we are. Fact.

[Morch]

11 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Yea, right,  so its all Trumps fault that the mad mullahs are now trying to make a bomb to blow Israel out of existence.  Weird logic don't you think, or maybe you support these Iranian lunatics in their ambitions?  Have we not yet learnt that appeasement of terrorist Sates never works, apparently not judging by some peoples comments here and elsewhere.  

 

Was Iran in breach of the agreement prior to Trump's withdrawal from the JCPOA? No. That you say it was does not carry much weight, and is not supported by facts. Iran might have been fooling everyone, sure - but there is no hard evidence that it did.

 

So long as the JCPOA is in place, there are rather strict mechanisms in place to monitor Iran's activities. Do they provide 100% assurance Iran is not up to something? No, but they were considered robust enough. If there is no agreement, then there are also no inspections and monitoring.

 

I very much doubt Iran (or it's leaders) got an actual plan to develop a nuclear weapon and use it (against Israel or whomever). Fanatics they may be, daft they're not. A nuclear weapon is used as insurance or as leverage.

[Eric Loh]

21 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

Yea, right,  so its all Trumps fault that the mad mullahs are now trying to make a bomb to blow Israel out of existence.  Weird logic don't you think, or maybe you support these Iranian lunatics in their ambitions?  Have we not yet learnt that appeasement of terrorist Sates never works, apparently not judging by some peoples comments here and elsewhere.  

Iran is all noise and no bite as regards to bombing Israel as any strike would be suicidal for Iran. Iran has sprouted anti-USA and anti-Israel since the 1979 revolution yet done nothing much except some proxy wars. Pushing them to a brink by sanctions and ripping the agreement is simply escalating the tension and sufferring of the people. US has caused much suffering to Iran in the past. More harsh unilateral pressures from US will not be conducive to open up dialogue. Biden is doing the right policy to revive talks and dialogue. 

[Kwasaki]

What I do not understand is why isn't there better dialogue.

Understanding the way other countries do things like or not has to be taken into consideration. 

Threats by Israel, the west and US just don't work, they have really never learnt anything from North Korea, Afganistan or Vietnam.

I see the way China, Russia is dealt with too does no good towards having peace, it just makes them more and more defiant.

It would me as well. 

[placeholder]

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

Yea, right,  so its all Trumps fault that the mad mullahs are now trying to make a bomb to blow Israel out of existence.  Weird logic don't you think, or maybe you support these Iranian lunatics in their ambitions?  Have we not yet learnt that appeasement of terrorist Sates never works, apparently not judging by some peoples comments here and elsewhere.  

Those "mad mullahs" as you call them, may talk threateningly, but their actions show that they have exercised great restraint. What's truly threatening was the decision of the Trump administrartion move to let Saudi Arabia and that hothead, MBS,  have reactors that can create nuclear fuel.

[Morch]

41 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

What I do not understand is why isn't there better dialogue.

Understanding the way other countries do things like or not has to be taken into consideration. 

Threats by Israel, the west and US just don't work, they have really never learnt anything from North Korea, Afganistan or Vietnam.

I see the way China, Russia is dealt with too does no good towards having peace, it just makes them more and more defiant.

It would me as well. 

 

I don't think it's that simple. If, for example, Iran was left to its own designs (as far as nuclear weapons go), they would have had one by now. Understanding the way other countries do things also means that there's a place for threats and strong-arming in some instances. For example, had Biden simply cancelled all sanctions and went straight back into the fold, it would certainly be seen as being weak by many regional players, including Iran.