Tehran is in favor of a lasting restoration of the nuclear deal between Iran and the 5+1 group, preferably in a form that would not allow the US to unilaterally withdraw again from these arrangements, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told CBS TV channel.
"If we are talking about a good deal and a fair deal, we would be serious about reaching an agreement. It needs to be lasting, there needs to be guarantees. If there was a guarantee, the Americans couldn't get out of the deal," Raisi said.
In a related development, a CBS correspondent, interviewed on September 13, noted that Iran could potentially withdraw from the deal as well. "The Americans broke their promises. They withdrew [from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran's nuclear program] unilaterally," Raisi replied. "We can't trust the Americans because of the behavior we've already seen. So if there is no guarantee, there is no trust," the Iranian president stressed.
Furthermore, he assured that "possession of nuclear weapons" is not envisaged in Tehran's doctrines. Raisi also confirmed that Iran is willing to discuss the possibility of a prisoner exchange with the United States. "This can be dealt with separately from the nuclear negotiations. It can be provided between the two countries. This is about the humanitarian issue. It can be resolved through negotiations," the president said.
The JCPOA was signed with Iran in 2015 to address the crisis over its nuclear developments by the permanent UN Security Council Five and Germany. Previous US President Donald Trump decided in 2018 to withdraw from the agreement. Current US leader Joe Biden has repeatedly signaled a willingness to bring Washington back into the nuclear deal with Tehran. Russia, Britain, Germany, China, the US and France have been negotiating with Iran in Vienna since last April to restore the JCPOA to its original form.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
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Based on materials from TASS