Iran: Ebrahim Raisi warns the West against "excessive demands" in nuclear talks

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Ebrahim Raisi: The talks have been on hold since the ultra-conservative cleric was elected as the new Iranian president

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Iranian Presidency / imago images / ZUMA Wire

Negotiations to revive the nuclear deal have been on hold since the change of government in Iran.

In a few weeks, however, it should continue.

President Ebrahim Raisi is now likely to have dampened possible expectations of the Western negotiating partners.

He warned the West against "excessive demands" for the resumption of the nuclear talks.

"We will not leave the negotiating table, but we will also oppose any excessive demands that ultimately harm the interests of the Iranian people," said Raisi at a ceremony in Semnam on the 42nd anniversary of the storming of the US embassy in Tehran by Iranian students .

He announced "not to back down when it comes to the interests of the Iranian people."

Iran will, however, "continue its efforts to offset the oppressive sanctions and take measures to have them lifted."

US representatives not yet at the negotiating table

The nuclear negotiations are due to resume on November 29th in Vienna after a five-month break. Diplomats from Germany, France, China, Russia and Great Britain will meet with Iranian representatives. The aim is to bring the US back to the negotiating table. The EU is acting as a mediator between Iran and the US in the conflict. Tehran has so far refused to negotiate directly with US representatives.

The international nuclear agreement of 2015 aims to prevent Iran from building an atomic bomb.

Germany, France, Great Britain, Russia and China are also involved.

The United States withdrew from the nuclear deal in 2018 under its then President Donald Trump.

Then Trump put massive sanctions in place against the country.

In response, the Iranian government gradually withdrew from many provisions of the agreement.

The EU had tried for months to revive the talks in Vienna that had been interrupted since June.

The talks have been on hold since the election of the ultra-conservative clergyman Raisi as the new Iranian president.

asc / dpa / Reuters