Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Iran's Supreme Leader Still Arbiter Of Nuclear Deal

Iran's Supreme Leader Still Arbiter Of Nuclear Deal

"Whether the president is Person A or Person B is less relevant than whether their system is prepared to make commitments to restrain their nuclear program," Jake Sullivan, US national security advisor, said.
The US national security advisor said Sunday that even with the election of an ultra-right president in Iran, the "ultimate decision" on recommitting to the 2015 nuclear deal lies with that country's supreme leader.

"Whether the president is Person A or Person B is less relevant than whether their system is prepared to make commitments to restrain their nuclear program," Jake Sullivan said on ABC's "This Week."

His comments followed the election Friday in Iran of ultraconservative cleric Ebrahim Raisi as president, succeeding moderate Hassan Rouhani -- for whom the nuclear deal was a landmark achievement -- and they come as talks in Vienna on rescuing the nuclear deal stand at a potential turning point.

"The ultimate decision for whether or not to go back into the deal," Sullivan said, "lies with Iran's supreme leader."

The 81-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has long stood as the ultimate arbiter of Iran's strategic posture. Raisi is considered a close Khamenei loyalist.

Under former president Donald Trump, the United States quit the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 and imposed new sanctions on Tehran.

His successor Joe Biden has said he wants to return to the accord as a crucial way of reining in Iran's nuclear program.

The multination talks in Vienna, underway since April, aim to bring the US back into the deal and to persuade Tehran to again abide by curbs on its nuclear program while providing Iran with sanctions relief.

Israel, a close US ally and bitter foe of Iran, has been fiercely critical of the nuclear deal.

Israel's new premier Naftali Bennett Sunday described Raisi's victory as "the last chance for the world powers to wake up before returning to the nuclear agreement."

But Enrique Mora, top European Union diplomat at the Vienna talks, said Sunday that negotiators were "closer" to saving the deal, despite some sticking points.

Sullivan also expressed cautious optimism.

"There is still a fair distance to travel on key issues, including sanctions and commitments Iran has to make," he said.

But, Sullivan added, "The arrow has been pointed in the right direction... We'll see if Iranian leaders are prepared to make the hard choices."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
×