Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: Iran Did Not Agree To Incorporate Its Missile Program Into The JCPOA Under Trump's Maximum Pressure Policy, And Will Not Allow It Under Biden's Negotiations Policy

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran will not accept any changes to the JCPOA and that America should first implement its part of the agreement before Iran implements its part. He made these remarks in an interview with channel 1 (Iran) that aired on February 20, 2021. He said that U.S. Secretary of State Blinken cannot expect Iran to accept adding references to missiles and regional influence to the JCPOA, after it had rejected Trump’s maximum pressure policy.

Mehdi Mehdigholi: "Mr. Blinken, the American Secretary of State, said in an interview with the national radio of that country that if Iran returned to the (nuclear) deal, they would return as well, and that they must work on an agreement that would be longer and stronger than the original agreement. He also said that they should engage Iran's ballistic missile program, and its destabilizing actions in the region.

"Other American official reiterated this, saying similar things. On the other hand, our honorable President [Rouhani] said on February 17 that during his term, Trump sent us eight messages. He also did this through Macron. He wanted to meet and to incorporate the words 'missiles' and 'region' in the JCPOA."

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Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi: "The current U.S. administration believes that Trump's method of 'maximum pressure' did not work, and failed to bring America to its goals vis-a-vis Iran. On the other hand, they keep talking about extending the JCPOA, about the region, about missiles, and about such things. Mr. Blinken should be asked, with utter astonishment, whether he believes that Iran would now, under the negotiations policy of these gentlemen, agree to things that it had rejected under maximum pressure?

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"We signed an agreement called the JCPOA with the Americans. If they want, they can have the JCPOA – without adding or omitting a word. They will not add or omit a single sentence. They must abide by the JCPOA and implement it. They will definitely not get anything beyond that. Just like Mr. Trump could not achieve anything with his maximum pressure.

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"We are only ready to accept the complete implementation of the current JCPOA, and only if they implement it first. If there will be any negotiations, they will deal with how to implement the JCPOA and nothing else."