Iran: "If the US Wants to Restore the Nuclear Deal, It Must Lift Sanctions on 1,500 Individuals"

Deputy Foreign Minister "Does Not Agree to Step-by-Step Procedures for Restoring Nuclear Agreement"

Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister
Photo by EPA Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Iran has stated that for the restoration of the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA - Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), the United States must first lift the sanctions imposed on 1,500 Iranian individuals.

On the 25th (local time), Abbas Araghchi, Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran, made this statement in an interview with the Iranian state broadcaster ICANA. Deputy Minister Araghchi added, "We do not agree to a step-by-step process of give-and-take concessions with the U.S. in restoring the nuclear deal," and said, "Only by meeting our demands can the nuclear deal be restored."

Bloomberg News reported, "Araghchi’s remarks are consistent with the Iranian authorities’ ongoing demand for the U.S. to unilaterally lift sanctions as a precondition for restoring the nuclear deal."

Araghchi’s comments came after his recent meeting with hardline Iranian lawmakers. Currently, a majority of members in the Iranian parliament oppose President Hassan Rouhani’s discussions on restoring the nuclear deal. According to local media, Mojtaba Zolnouri, chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament, is coordinating a joint response with lawmakers to prevent the restoration of the nuclear deal and has expressed the opinion that Iranian lawmakers should also participate in the ongoing nuclear deal restoration talks in Vienna, Austria.

Earlier, on the 21st, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that "the U.S. sent signals to Iran that it could narrow differences related to the nuclear deal by easing some economic sanctions, including lifting sanctions on Iran’s central bank." The sanctions relief hinted by the U.S. included Iran’s central bank, state-owned oil refining, tanker companies, steel, and aluminum sectors. A senior U.S. State Department official told WSJ in an interview, "We have outlined a clearer framework for sanctions relief on Iran, and there has been progress in negotiations accordingly."

However, WSJ reported that President Rouhani demanded a detailed explanation of the U.S. sanctions relief proposal. He said, "The U.S. proposal is vague," and "We require a clearer plan for sanctions relief." As opposition to restoring the nuclear deal spreads among lawmakers, there is an interpretation that President Rouhani is aligning with the lawmakers’ stance.

Meanwhile, representatives of the Iran nuclear deal participant countries have been conducting negotiations in Vienna since the 6th to restore the agreement. The participant countries, including the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, are mediating between Iran, which refuses direct talks, and the U.S. to reach an agreement. The talks are scheduled to resume on the 26th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.