Ayatollah Khamenei says Tehran is in no hurry to see America rejoin the JCPOA

 Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that Tehran is in no hurry to see America re-join the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with major powers following the US President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Khamenei also emphasized that Iran won't end its presence in neighboring nations.

 "We are in no hurry and we are not demanding their return," Khamenei stated on January 8, emphasizing Iran's concern for a lifting of sanctions that President Donald Trump reimposed following Washington's departure from the 2015 nuclear deal agreement. 

 Trump has contended that the 2015 agreement didn't go far enough and added that the economic pressures would compel Tehran to negotiate a fresh deal that would address Iran's nuke programs.

 In Nov 2020, The United Nations' atomic watchdog asserted in a report that Iran began working on centrifuges at an underground site however says the country's uranium-enhancing limits still haven't expanded. 

 The 2015 nuclear agreement signed by the United States, France, Germany, China, Britain, and Russia had permitted Iran to store only 202.8 kilograms of uranium.

 However, the IAEA report stated that Iran had been continuing to enhance uranium to 4.5%, higher than the 3.67% which is licensed under the JCPOA agreement.

 In light of the U.S. withdrawal and imposing sanctions on Iran, which asserts its atomic program is for civilian needs, has continued to breach the agreement.

 Biden has stated that Washington may rejoin the atomic deal, under which Tehran commits to restrict its atomic exercises as a trade-off for alleviation from sanctions if Iran consents.

 Other international powers in the deal mainly, Britain, Germany, and France has urged Iran to go back to its commitments in an offer to save the agreement. 

 Iranian authorities have stated that they could immediately return to an agreement once the United States and European nations perform their duties towards the agreement by providing Tehran with the financial aid. Iran further says its regional policies and missile programs are off the table.