Iran's hardline President Ebrahim Raisi said on Tuesday a revival of Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal is possible if the United States removes sanctions that have crippled Tehran’s economy.
"If the other party removes the sanctions, there will be possibility to revive the pact," Raisi told Iran's state TV.
Iran and world powers have begun another round of nuclear talks in Vienna, Austria aimed at salvaging the tattered 2015 nuclear deal. The meetings include all the deal’s remaining signatories — Iran, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China.
The US has participated only indirectly in the ongoing talks because it withdrew from the accord in 2018 under then-President Donald Trump. Trump later re-imposed crushing sanctions on Iran and Tehran responded by increasing the purity of uranium it enriches and its stockpiles, in breach of the accord.
President Joe Biden has signaled that he wants to rejoin the deal and the US has said it is prepared to hold direct talks with Iran on its nuclear program, a position it reiterated Monday.
