Iran passes ball to US court for nuclear agreement

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - An Iranian diplomat on Tuesday called on the US to prove its commitment to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, affirming his country's commitment in making a lasting return to the accord.

"The party that needs to prove 'good faith' and 'seriousness' to 're-enter' the deal is the US," foreign ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said in a tweet while passing the ball to the US' court for acting towards the revival of the deal. 

The Biden administration has sought a return to the landmark accord and has been in talks since April 2021 after predecessor Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 and imposed biting sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to step away from many of the nuclear commitments it made under the accord.

"If the US acts constructively and positively, an agreement is close," Kanaani said, ensuring Iran's commitment to reaching a "good, strong, and lasting agreement" that guarantees benefits from the deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

The Islamic republic has demanded that the US must lift its crippling sanctions to revive the JCPOA, including those on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which Washington has placed on a terror blacklist.

Under the nuclear accord, Iran enjoyed sanctions relief in exchange for the curtailment of its nuclear program.

Iran Friday blamed US “indecision” for delaying a return to the nuclear deal. 

Qatar in June hosted EU-mediated indirect talks between Tehran and Washington, but the talks made "no progress" according to the US.