Raisi backs nuke talks, but firm on US

TEHERAN/WASHINGTON－Iranian President-elect Ebrahim Raisi has backed talks between Iran and six world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear deal, but rejected meeting US President Joe Biden, even if Washington removed all sanctions.

In his first news conference since winning the presidential election on Friday, Raisi said on Monday that his foreign policy priority would be improving ties with Iran's Gulf Arab neighbors, while calling on Saudi Arabia to halt its intervention in Yemen.

Raisi, 60, a critic of the West, will take over from Hassan Rouhani on Aug 3 as Iran seeks to salvage the nuclear deal and be rid of punishing US sanctions that have crippled Iran's economy.