The United States first placed financial sanctions on Iran back in 1979, during the hostage crisis. For nearly four decades the U.S. State Department has designated Iran one of the world's leading state sponsors of terrorism, CBS reports.
But the Obama administration, along with five other countries, agreed to billions of dollars in sanctions relief in exchange for Iran's agreement to dismantle much of its nuclear program and open its facilities to extensive international inspection.
The Trump administration, distrusting Tehran, pulled out of the deal and stepped up crushing economic pressure.
That's where Ebrahim Raisi found himself when he was elected president a year ago. Last month, Iran and the 61-year-old hardliner were on the verge of striking a new deal, but then Iran submitted demands that sent the nuclear talks into a stalemate.
We met President Raisi Tuesday at the presidential compound in Tehran for his first interview with a western reporter. I was told how to dress, not to sit before he did, and not to interrupt him. We were given one hour for the interview.
Lesley Stahl: Can we start with the negotiations on the nuclear deal. Do you want to- have that deal renewed? Because you know, there are some American officials who are beginning to think that you don't.
President Ebrahim Raisi (translation): If it's a good deal and fair deal, we would be serious about reaching an agreement. It needs to be lasting. There needs to be guarantees. If there were a guarantee, then the Americans could not withdraw from the deal.
Lesley Stahl: But you can pull out of the deal I mean, just as well as we could pull out of the deal.
President Ebrahim Raisi (translation): You see, the Americans broke their promises. They did it unilaterally. They said that, "I am out of the deal." Now making promises is becoming meaningless.
Lesley Stahl: Are you saying that you cannot trust the Americans?
President Ebrahim Raisi (translation): We cannot trust the Americans because of the behavior that we have already seen from them. That is why if there is no guarantee, there is no trust.
The U.S. Says the West can't trust Iran. For instance, when it claims its nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes.
Lesley Stahl: As far as we can tell you don't use it for, ya know, things that can help your citizens, like electricity. You say you want it for peaceful reasons. Like what?
President Ebrahim Raisi (translation): Like in medicine, agriculture, oil, gas.
In terms of "peaceful purposes," one available figure – from the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, the IAEA – is that only 1.8% of the country's electricity is generated by nuclear power.
Lesley Stahl: There seems to be some evidence that you had been working, at least before, toward a bomb, a bomb, a weapon, and that you might be doing that again.
President Ebrahim Raisi (translation): We have responded to these claims several times. They are baseless. The Islamic Republic of Iran has said many times that possessing nuclear weapons has no place in our doctrine.
However, the U.S. intelligence community has assessed "with high confidence" that Iran did attempt to develop a nuclear bomb in the past.
