Ali Akbar Salehi, who is also the vice-president of Iran, told PBS NewHour program that Iranian officials are waiting for the US to make the first move.
The US must come to the negotiating table before Iran will agree to discuss returning to the confines of the deal negotiated by the Obama administration in 2015, Salehi said.
“Why do we want to complicate the issue?” Salehi asked.
“The one who has left the JCPOA has to come back first,” he added, referring to the deal’s official name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
“It’s easy to resolve the issue. Come back to the JCPOA and not let this happen,” Salehi added.
Former US President Donald Trump withdrew the country from the deal in 2018, re-imposing sanctions that had been lifted as part of the agreement. The four other permanent members of the UN Security Council — China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom — plus Germany remain signed to the original agreement.
