In an opinion piece published by the daily newspaper Iran, Ali Rabiei said the administration of new US President Joe Biden is likely to forswear the policy of pressuring Iran.

The full text of the article follows:

One month on since a change of government in the United States, the Biden administration is now on the verge of renouncing the ‘maximum pressure’ policy after seeing the unique resistance put up by Iranian people and their refusal to give in to bullying and putting up with the toughest economic war ever launched against a nation in peacetime on the one hand, and the government’s patience in insisting on Iranian people’s rights through words and diplomacy on the other. Although it is too early to make a final judgment yet, hope has grown considerably compared to the previous months that rationality will return to US decisions. The lifting of bans on our representatives’ travelling through the UN headquarters, and the US rescinding the Trump administration’s demand to the UN for reinstating sanctions resolutions against Iran are small and insufficient signs of a possible goodwill gesture by the US.

But these steps are trivial and extremely insufficient to satisfy Iranian people, who suffered from the toughest livelihood hardships while remaining committed to their obligations and international accords, and who, above all, were deprived of fair access to global health and treatment facilities at a time of the coronavirus pandemic. From Iranians’ perspective, it is an undeniable fact that if the US returns to its obligations by lifting the sanctions right today, the national time lost and the harm inflicted will not be easily compensated for.  Nearly two decades of creating fake crises about peaceful nuclear programs, which were the result of the animosity of Iran’s enemies toward independent scientific progress and development, put the people and society in so much trouble. That is why an irrevocable priority for the government will remain to be a demand for the lifting of sanctions against Iranian people, who have, over the past millennia, proved to deserve a free, independent and glorious life. The day when the government refused to withdraw from the JCPOA despite domestic and foreign pressure to do so in response to pullout from the deal by Trump’s United States, it could see a day when Iran’s righteousness would stop the world’s No-1bullying country at the United Nations Security Council and at the International Court of Justice at The Hague.

In light of full support offered by the Supreme Leader for that over these years, the government was right in its prediction that the US will have no option, but to return to the JCPOA. Needless to say, if it weren’t for the praiseworthy sacrifice of people who withstood the Trump regime’s inhumane aggression, we wouldn’t have the brilliant success that we have today and there would be no liveliness to follow maximum diplomacy to bring to zero tensions in our foreign relations. Now, despite diplomatic ups and downs which are the natural prelude to all sides returning to their obligations, including the lifting of sanction sin the near future, we can predict with certainty that diplomatic initiatives will work well until the desired objective is achieved. Of course, the government is obliged to stop the voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol this week in accordance with Clause 6 of legislation passed by Parliament. Nevertheless, this move does not signify our violation of the JCPOA, nor is it an impediment to giving proper and proportionate responses to any US action to prove its goodwill in the process where both sides will return to their obligations. We can even regard such a move in the new atmosphere as part of ups and downs along this positive trend, and we can ensure government which are interested in reviving the JCPOA and concerned about the repercussions of such a decision that Iran does not intend to make any extraordinary changes, nor does it have any intentions beyond its legal obligations under the JCPOA as well as its moral and religious duty in banning nuclear weapons,

Moreover, this action is taken in accordance with Clause 36 of the JCPOA which entitles every signatory to stop implementing their commitments, in whole or in part, if the other parties fail to live up to their obligations, and is immediately reversible like the steps taken before to reduce our commitments only if the United States and Europe return to their obligations by lifting the sanctions. As the president and foreign minister have said, we are ready to immediately begin fulfilling our commitments as stipulated in the JCPOA once sanctions are lifted.

From whatever perspective we look the current juncture, we have weathered one of the toughest phases of recent history with pride, and we are confident that we will start the Persian New Year (beginning March 21, 2021) with a more open atmosphere in terms of economy and national health while we have emerged victorious in countering sanctions and the coronavirus pandemic. No point in time can signify the fruitfulness of national unity against unwanted hardships better than today. It is obvious that we cannot preserve this achievement without continuing to maintain our national unity. This hope and self-confidence has flourished at a time when another election is ahead of us to determine our destiny and opt for a dialogue that could support the created historical opportunities to move forward on the path to Iran’s development, welfare and progress. That promises a brighter future which can make up for the underdevelopment imposed on us in the recent three years faster than ever on the back of triumph over the coronavirus pandemic and sanctions, maximum popular turnout in the upcoming polls, and pursuing a fresh wave of maximum diplomacy on the heels of the election.