US downplays impact of Raisi’s election on Iran nuclear talks

The supreme leader has the final say on negotiations, says National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the ultimate decision for Iran to whether or not return to diplomacy rested with the supreme leader and not the next president. AP

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is playing down the impact that hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi's recent victory in the Iranian presidential elections will have on Washington's ongoing nuclear diplomacy with Tehran.

"Whether the president is person A or person B is less relevant than whether their entire system is prepared to make verifiable commitments to constrain their nuclear programme," Mr Sullivan said in an interview to ABC that was broadcast on Sunday.

Although Mr Raisi won a decisive victory in the Iranian elections on Friday, Mr Sullivan said the ultimate decision about whether Iran returns to compliance with the nuclear accord in exchange for US sanctions relief lies with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Supporters of Iran's newly elected president Ebrahim Raisi gather at a rally celebrating his victory, in Imam Hossein square, in the capital Tehran. AFP

A woman wears a pin bearing the image of Iran's newly elected president Ebrahim Raisi during a rally in Imam Hossein square. AFP

A woman shows an image of Iranian president-elect Ebrahim Raisi on her phone. He received 17.9 million votes in a landslide victory. EPA

Women supporters of Ebrahim Raisi hold posters depicting him and national flags as they celebrate his presidential victory. More than 28 million Iranians out of 59 million eligible voters cast their ballots. AFP

An Iranian child holds a toy gun at a celebration to mark the victory of Ebrahim Raisi in the presidential elections. The vote appeared to see the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history. AP Photo

Ebrahim Raisi supporters display his portrait during a celebratory rally for his presidential election victory in Tehran. He will succeed President Hassan Rouhani, who is coming to the end of his second term in office. Reuters

Supporters of Ebrahim Raisi gather to celebrate his presidential election victory in Tehran. He had the support of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the backing of the powerful Guardian Council. Reuters

A conservative cleric and head of Iran’s judiciary, Ebrahim Raisi is expected to usher in hardline policies that will close Iran off from much of the world. Reuters

Ebrahim Raisi will be the first Iranian president to have had sanctions imposed against him by the US government before entering office. Reuters

Although critical of the West, Ebrahim Raisi is keen to to revive the 2015 nuclear accord that lifted global sanctions on Tehran. AP Photo

Other pressing issues Iran's president-elect Ebrahim Raisi faces include an economic downturn that has led to spiralling inflation and job losses and tackling the region's worst outbreak of Covid-19. Reuters

Supporters of Ebrahim Raisi celebrate his presidential election victory in Tehran. Reuters

“The ultimate decision for whether or not to come back lies with Iran’s supreme leader,” said Mr Sullivan.

“And he was the same person before this election as he is after the election.

“Ultimately, it lies with him and his decisions as to whether he wants to go down the path of diplomacy or face mounting pressure, not just from the United States, but from the rest of the international community.”

Iran has gradually scaled up its violations of the nuclear agreement since former president Donald Trump withdrew from the accord in 2018.

The United States and Iran have so far completed six rounds of slow-moving, indirect talks in Vienna aimed at determining which nuclear activities Tehran will have to suspend and which sanctions Washington will have to lift to return to compliance with the deal.

Delegations from the remaining signatories to the accord – the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China – convened in Vienna this weekend following Mr Raisi's election victory.

A staunch critic of the nuclear deal, Mr Raisi does not take office until August. While he is expected to undo many of the reformist policies enacted over the past eight years, Tehran may be able to reach a deal with the US during President Hassan Rouhani's final weeks in office – contingent on Mr Khamenei's blessing.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett used Mr Raisi’s election to caution against a return to the nuclear deal.

“Raisi’s election is, I would say, the last chance for world powers to wake up before returning to the nuclear agreement and understand who they are doing business with,” said Mr Bennett. “A regime of brutal hangmen must never be allowed to have weapons of mass destruction. Israel’s position will not change on this.”

Amnesty International called on Saturday for Mr Raisi to face an investigation for crimes against humanity over his role in forcible disappearances and extrajudicial killings of prisoners in 1988 as well as a crack down on human rights in his current roles as Iran’s judiciary chief.