DAVOS: Iran's foreign minister on Thursday urged US President Joe Biden to lift economic sanctions and abandon his predecessor Donald Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign in order to revive a nuclear deal.
Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian's comments came a day after the US pointman on Iran, Rob Malley, said the odds of success were lower than the odds of failure.
"The most important thing is that the economic sanctions need to be lifted in an effective way. The most important thing is that the maximum pressure policy of the Trump era... needs to be removed," Amir-Abdollahian said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
"If you are talking about direct talks then you have to prove to us that you're different from President Trump," he said.
The 2015 nuclear deal -- brokered under then president Barack Obama with the blessing of European powers, China and Russia -- promised economic relief for Iran which, inspectors said, had been complying with the accord's severe curbs on its nuclear programme.
Trump withdrew in 2018 and imposed sweeping unilateral sanctions including on Iran's oil, vowing to bring Tehran to its knees.
Malley, who has led more than a year of indirect talks with Iran in Vienna, said on Wednesday that Trump's approach had demonstrably failed, with Iran stepping up nuclear work since the United States withdrew from the deal.
He told US lawmakers that Biden's administration still supported the 2015 accord and was ready to lift sanctions if it secures an agreement. But he said "excessive Iranian demands" made the odds of success lower.
"As of today the odds of a successful negotiation are lower than the odds of failure and that is because of excessive Iranian demands to which we will not succumb," Malley told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee earlier.
He said the United States would reject "demands that go beyond the scope of the JCPOA," using the official name for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
"We are fully prepared to live with and confront that reality if that is Iran's choice," Malley said.
But Malley made clear that Biden did not support military action -- an option loudly mulled by Israel.
"All options are on the table," Malley said, while adding that military action would only "set back" Iran's nuclear programme.
Referring to the US history of war in the Middle East, Malley said, "We know that it costs."
"But let's leave it at this -- the only solution here is a diplomatic one."
Malley, however, warned of greater economic pressure if talks fail -- and said the United States would have the support of the Europeans, unlike under former president Donald Trump.
The JCPOA -- brokered under then president Barack Obama with the blessing of European powers, Russia and China -- promised economic relief for Iran which, inspectors said, had been complying with the accord's severe curbs on its nuclear programme. - AFP
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