Iran: No Nuclear Deal Unless Sanctions Lifted
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s foreign minister emphasized that no agreement with six world powers over Tehran’s nuclear energy program will go into effect unless sanctions imposed against the country by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) are lifted.
“No agreement will be implemented unless the five permanent members of the UNSC, which are in (the nuclear) talks (with Iran), meet their commitment to lifting sanctions. The issue has been clear in all negotiations,” Mohammad Javad Zarif told reporters after a meeting with Romanian Deputy Foreign Minister Carmen Burlaco in Tehran on Monday.
He was pointing to a long-awaited nuclear deal between Iran and the Group 5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany), that if reached, will settle a decade-long standoff on Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities.
Zarif said the Group 5+1 cannot annul the sanctions by itself but the five permanent members of the council participating in the talks should help the abolition of the sanctions against Iran through the UNSC mechanisms.
In relevant remarks on the same day, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi said an ultimate, comprehensive nuclear agreement between Tehran and world powers will force the other side to push for nullification of previous sanction resolutions passed by the UNSC against Iran.
“In case of a final deal, they (sextet of world powers) will undertake to have the (UN) Security Council pass a motion that removes the (anti-Iran) sanctions,” Araqchi, who is also a senior member of the country’s nuclear team, said.
Under pressure from the US and its allies, the International Atomic Energy Agency, which should deal with Iran’s nuclear case, has referred the case to the UN Security Council.
And the UNSC has passed several resolutions against Iran, alleging that it could pursue undeclared nuclear activities.
Meanwhile, Iran and the Sextet are to resume their negotiations to discuss ways of reaching a final agreement over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.
The two sides clinched a landmark interim deal in Geneva, Switzerland, on November 23, 2013. The agreement took effect on January 20 and expired six months later on July 20.
The two sides have agreed on the extension of their discussions until November 24 in an effort to achieve a permanent nuclear deal.