President Rouhani underscored that “we have not cut ties with the U.S., it is them who cut ties and started hostilities with Iran… Iran and the P4+1 have been in the [nuclear] deal from the beginning, and it is up to them [ie, the U.S.]; if they live up to their obligations, they can choose a new path”. He further stressed that “our goal is to lift the sanctions and to have constructive interaction with the world, and whenever the opportunity arises, we will take action, and no one has the right to lose opportunities, and we will use the opportunities based on national interests and unity”. “These are not partisan issues, but in any step we want to take, we will heed the instructions of the Supreme Leader”, Rouhani added. Relatedly, a senior Iranian diplomat asserted that the “JCPOA is not a gateway where anyone can leave or come back whenever they want… there are rules and conditions that must be negotiated, but the way back is open”.