Iran says next president won’t change course on nuclear deal
(Bloomberg) –
Iran’s approach to reinstating its nuclear deal with world powers will not change after this month’s presidential election, senior official said, as Hassan Rouhani is expected to be replaced by a hard-line supporter critical of the deal.
Diplomats are trying to negotiate a deal between Iran and the United States that will revive the pact abandoned by former President Donald Trump and relax sanctions on the economy of the Islamic Republic in exchange for cutting back on its atomic activities. A high-level atomic body said on Monday that negotiations in Vienna were at a “crossroads”.
Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said the decision to engage with other participants in the deal, including the United States, was taken by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and had the support of the highest levels of the Iranian establishment. This will not be affected by Rouhani’s departure, Rabiei said.
What are the stakes of the presidential election in Iran: QuickTake
“The other parties to the nuclear deal can be assured that Iran will not break its obligations as long as they honor their commitments,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “We are focused on finalizing the talks in the remaining time. At the moment, we are not interested in speculating in advance on the various possibilities.
The Iranians are expected to go to the polls on June 18 to elect their next president, widely believed to be conservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi, generally viewed as hostile to engagement with the United States.
Iran talks seen by Atomic Monitors as entering decisive phase
Diplomats postponed talks in Vienna last week with US and Iranian delegations, said they would have to make tough decisions that could upend national political constituencies. The envoys are expected to return to the Austrian capital this week, where leaders are to decide on next steps.
(Updates with quotes, details and context.)
More stories like this are available at bloomberg.com
Subscribe now to stay ahead of the curve with the most trusted source of business information.
© 2021 Bloomberg LP