Biden administration doesn't have much time to rejoin nuclear deal, says Iran FM

US President Joe Biden's new administration does not have much time for taking positive steps towards re-joining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, said Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday, Sputnik reported quoting the Hamshahri newspaper.

US President Joe Biden's new administration does not have much time for taking positive steps towards re-joining the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, said Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Saturday, Sputnik reported quoting the Hamshahri newspaper.

While commenting on the possibility that the US will lift sanctions ahead of the presidential election in Iran in June, Zarif said: "The US has little time, both because of the parliamentary ruling and the pre-election atmosphere after the [Iran] New Year [on 21 March]"

The minister also mentioned that he saw no need in launching direct talks between Iran and the US to discuss the issue, while also remarking that Iran had never left the negotiating table on the nuclear deal and that it is the US that "needs a ticket to sit down at the negotiating table."

"There is [EU foreign policy chief Josep] Borrell, who, as a coordinator of the JCPOA, can take up the coordination issues. We are ready to talks to Borrell, the US is also ready for talks with him", added the Iran Foreign Minister.

Earlier this week, Washington said that it was engaged in active consultations with major European countries on the issue of the Iran nuclear programme and expected a unified front to deal with the matter, Sputnik reported.

Biden has repeatedly vowed to return the United States to the 2015 agreement, abandoned by his predecessor Donald Trump in 2018. The US President has also called for negotiating a broader agreement with Iran. Tehran, in turn, has rejected the possibility of expanding the nuclear deal.

( With inputs from ANI )