Iran says US policy on nuclear deal ‘contradictory’

Tehran yesterday hit out at what it called Washington's "contradictory" policies, after President Joe Biden vowed to pile pressure on Iran ahead of a visit to US allies in the Middle East.

Biden has been seeking to restore the Iran nuclear deal that was abandoned by his predecessor Donald Trump, but he has refused to lift sanctions on the Islamic republic until it returns to compliance with the accord.

In an opinion piece for the Washington Post ahead of his visit this week to Israel and Saudi Arabia, Biden pointed to the "rapid acceleration" of Iran's nuclear programme after Trump "reneged on a nuclear deal that was working".