Topic: Iran's Khamenei demands 'action' from Biden to revive nuclear deal
Iran's Khamenei demands 'action' from Biden to revive nuclear deal
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei demanded "action, not words" from the United States if it wants to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, challenging new President Joe Biden to take the first step toward a thaw.
Iran has set a deadline of next week for Biden to begin reversing sanctions imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump, or it will take its biggest step yet to breach the deal - banning short-notice inspections by the UN nuclear watchdog.
"We have heard many nice words and promises which in practice have been broken and opposite actions have been taken," Khamenei said in a televised speech. "Words and promises are no good. This time (we want) only action from the other side, and we will also act."
Biden aims to restore the pact under which Iran agreed to curbs on its disputed uranium enrichment programme in return for the lifting of sanctions, a major achievement of the Obama administration that Trump scrapped in 2018, calling the deal one sided in Iran's favour and reimposing a panoply of sanctions.
Iran and the United States are at odds over who should make the first step to revive the accord. Iran says the United States must first lift Trump's sanctions while Washington says Tehran must first return to compliance with the deal, which it began violating after Trump launched his "maximum-pressure" campaign.
Highlighting the urgency of a diplomatic solution to the standoff, German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a rare phone call with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in which she urged Tehran to take steps ensuring its return to full compliance.
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