The new Iranian president, Ebrahim Raisi, announced that the files of combating COVID-19 and advancing the economy will top the agenda of his upcoming government, which presented the names of his ministerial candidates to parliament on Saturday. Meanwhile, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Raisi's nominee for the position of foreign minister, declined to engage in new nuclear negotiations, stating that they drain Iran's resources.
Abdollahian said, "I loudly declare that we consider negotiations a burden on diplomacy... We will never shy away from negotiations based on logic, sovereignty, and wisdom, but we will not tie the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the nuclear agreement." He added, "I will do everything in my power to render the sanctions ineffective while we try to lift them; however, we will agree to discussions that do not exhaust us and secure the rights and interests of the great Iranian nation." He emphasized, "I clearly confirm that this is the policy of Raisi's government."
It is noteworthy that negotiations between Iranian authorities and European countries, with the participation of China and Russia, as well as the United States (indirectly), halted last July after seven rounds, failing to overcome all significant obstacles to reviving the agreement.
