Iran says nuclear deal 'meaningless' without end to watchdog's probe
The Iranian president said reviving a 2015 deal with world powers will be pointless unless the UN nuclear watchdog puts an end to its probe of undeclared sites in the country.
Ebrahim Raisi's comments came as Tehran reviews the US response to its suggestions on a "final" text put forward by the EU to salvage the landmark deal.
The United States had remained adamant that Tehran cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency to clear up suspicions about earlier work at three undeclared sites.
"In the negotiations, safeguard issues are one of the fundamental ones. All of the safeguard issues must be resolved," Raisi told reporters at a press conference in the capital Tehran.
"Without resolving the safeguard issues, talking about the agreement is meaningless," he added.
The indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington have so far been carried out through the mediation of the European Union.
The 2015 deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, aimed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon -- something it has always denied wanting to do.
Since taking office in 2021, President Joe Biden has sought to return the US to the deal unilaterally abandoned by his predecessor Donald Trump in 2018.
"Nuclear weapons have no place in our defence doctrine," Raisi reiterated.
