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Iran's newly elected president, Ebrahim Raisi, says will not meet with Biden for nuclear talks

The U.S. and Iran had been in indirect talks in Austria over how to salvage the nuclear deal.

Published: June 22, 2021 7:34am

Updated: June 23, 2021 10:56am

Iran's newly elected president, Ebrahim Raisi, says he's not willing to meet with President Biden, in the international effort to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Raisi made the comments Monday during his first press conference since winning Iran's presidential election Friday.

He also urged the United States to lift all sanctions on his country and to return to the nuclear deal and said Iran's ballistic missile program was "not up for negotiation," according to CNN.

"My serious proposal to the United States government is for them to return [to the agreement] in an expedited manner ... in doing so they will prove their sincerity," Raisi said. "I reiterate to the US that you were committed to lifting the sanctions -- come back and live up to your commitments."

Iran and the U.S. were previously undergoing indirect negotiations in Vienna over the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, better known as the Iran nuclear deal, which lifted sanctions on the country in exchange for Iran to stop the enrichment of uranium. Former President Trump had unilaterally pulled out of the deal in 2018.

Whether the sides can achieve a deal without a meeting between their respective leaders in unclear.

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