Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer-Qalibaf speaks during a visit to the Fordoo nuclear complex, January 28, 2021

Senior Iranian officials try both boast and charm as they seek leverage over the 2015 nuclear deal with the 5+1 Powers (US, UK, France, Germany, China, and Russia).

Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Baqer Qalibaf boasted on Thursday about Tehran’s suspension of provisions in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, from which the Trump Administration withdrew in May 2018.

Visiting the Fordow nuclear complex, Qalibaf said Iran is ahead of schedule in return to its pre-2015 level of 20% enriched uranium, which can potentially be further enriched to a military grade of more than 90%.

I now give the glad tidings to the dear people of our country that regarding the 120 kg of 20% enrichment per year, experts have been able to enrich 17 kg in less than a month.

The Speaker added that the installation of IR-2m centrifuges, another suspension of JCPOA limits, is in process with some already in place.

While the Rouhani began suspension of some provisions in spring 2019, following the Trump Administration’s imposition of comprehensive sanctions in November 2018, Parliament has been instrumental in Tehran’s return to 20% enrichment.

In December, responding to the assassination of leading nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the Majlis commanded the Government to resume the enrichment and begin the installation of 1,000 IR-2m centrifuges by February. President Hassan Rouhani initially resisted, saying the steps were up to his Cabinet, but relented in early January.

Qalibaf repeated the line of Iran’s leaders that Tehran will return to compliance with the nuclear deal, if the new Biden Administration first lifts US sanctions.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated the Administration’s own “You Go First” message on Wednesday, saying Tehran must retract its suspensions for talks to follow about a revised JCPOA.

UPDATED: US, Iran, and the Nuclear Deal — The “You Go First” Dilemma

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is in Turkey on Friday, the latest leg of his multi-national tour to drum up support for Iran’s position.

Zarif has also visited Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia this week for discussion of regional and economic issues.

He responded to Secretary of State Blinken via Twitter:

Iran’s Ambassador to the UN, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, followed his opinion piece in The New York Times with the warning to the Biden Administration that it “must act quickly” to return to the JCPOA “because the window is closing” on an Iranian deadline for the lifting of sanctions.

“The party that needs to change course is the United States, and not Iran,” Takht-Ravanchi told the USA Today newspaper.